Pokemon: Kanto Dreams
by Air-Head-Ry
Summary: 25 Years ago, a series of disasters changed the Kanto Region forever. With the help of an old Pikachu, can Azure, Cerise, and Coal save the world from a powerful, unknown force, defeat the Collector, save the Pikachu's Trainer, discover the secrets of Mt. Silver and win the Pokemon League, or is the world doomed to suffer the same fate as Mt. Silver?
1. Episode 1: A New Pokemon Journey

**A.N:** This story was made with images, and the images have been uploaded with the story on Ao3, just google search Archive of Our Own and you will find it with the images. This version will be modified to not include the images!

**Summery:**

25 years after the end of the Unova Region, the world of Pokemon is drastically different then what we all know. 10 years ago, a series of cave-ins and rock-slides in Mt. Silver awoke something the world has never seen, deep within its core. Several Trainers, including a famous trainer from Pallet Town, disappeared within the catastrophe, and something sinister arose in their place. A man who police have named 'The Pokemon Collector' appeared and began his tirade over the Kanto Region. It is this world, that young Pokemon Trainer, Azure, heads out on to start his Pokemon Journey, but is quickly set off course by an old and powerful Pikachu, asking for help on saving its Trainer. With the help of this Pikachu, can Azure, Cerise, and Coal stop the Pokemon Collector and save him from himself, discover the secrets of Mt. Silver, and save the world from an unknown force? Or is the world doomed to suffer the same fate as the mountain?

This story includes art, some comic strips, and writing.

... ... ...

This fan-fic is based off an RP with several different members, and is written by Manganimefandom, drawn by Rygel-n, and uploaded by myself. It may be slightly AU, due to the fact that only one of our members is caught up in the series, and one of our members has never seen the anime before, but we try to keep things as close to canon as possible. Its easy for everyone to follow, because it mostly focuses on the evens surrounding the original Kanto Series, as Azure, Cerise, and Coal start out in Kanto.

To be on the safe-side, I will mention that there will be some violence, but nothing so far that is morbidly gory. If anyone has a problem with the rating, I would be more then happy to raise it.

Though this story focuses more on OC characters, there will be lots of familiar Kanto faces, only 25 or so year older then when they appeared in the Anime. The first of which, you will meet in this chapter.

I hope you enjoy Pokemon: Kanto Dreams!

**Prologue**

Hello There!

Welcome to the World of POKEMON!  
This world is inhabited by creatures called POKEMON! For some people, POKEMON are pets, others use them for fights.

In the last 25 Years,  
Things have changed drastically in the world of Pokemon.  
Technology improved,  
New Pokemon were discovered,  
New Pokeballs were invented,  
And new Pokedex's were created.

The World of Pokemon just keeps growing!

In the early years, people trained their pokemon for battle, traveling the world in hopes of getting into the Pokemon League.

Though as time went on, new ways to raise Pokemon was discovered.  
Such as BREEDERS, who focused their time on breeding and raising the healthiest Pokemon,  
And COORDINATORS, who traveled the world collecting ribbons and competting in contests.  
But the most frightening type of 'Trainer' to appear,  
Would be the 'Pokemon Theives'.  
Theives like, Team Rocked, or Team Galactic,  
Or other kinds of organized Pokemon Crime groups,  
Such as Team Snagum, Team Aqua, Team Magma, Team Plasma, and many more.

With more and more Trainers appearing every year, all desperately trying to achieve their own individual goals,  
And more Pokemon Theives appearing to take those Trainer's hard earned Pokemon,  
The Pokemon League got to gether with Police Officials from all over the world,  
And decided to try and something to stop it.

And thus,  
15 Years ago, the Trainer ID System was created.  
The Creation of the Pokedex was handed over to the Government,  
And was Mass-Produced all over the world.  
New Pokemon Trainers still had to go to the Pokemon Labs for them, as well as get their starters.  
Anyone who owned a Pokemon also had to be Registered at either a Lab or a Pokemon Center.  
Those registered at a Lab would obtain a Pokedex,  
And those registered at a Pokemon Center obtained an ID Card.  
Anyone caught with a Pokemon not registered to their Pokedex or ID Card would be fined.  
And and person found with an unregistered Pokemon, without a Trainer ID would be fined,  
Risk having the Pokemon Taken away,  
And face possible Jail Time.

While this system was annoying at first,  
It stopped Pokemon Crime in its tracks.  
Officers and Labs could better keep track of all the new Trainers and monitor them better.

Two Popular Trainers set forth from Pallet Town 25 years ago,  
And since then, the town has exploded with wannabe-trainers.  
Every year, kids from all over Kanto scramble to obtain one of 3 Starter Pokemon,  
Or Register their Pokemon at a Lab and obtain the Pokedex.

This is where our story begins.

* * *

The wind was blowing through the grass gently, the sky was clear, and the weather was fair - a perfect early summer day. Out on Route 25, just north of Cerulean City. The breeze from the ocean cooled the air down incredibly, creating a calming sea-breeze that swirled its way through the grass.  
Besides the sounds of wild Pokemon, enjoying the nice weather, the only other sound to be heard, was that of a small radio.

A boy laid in the grass, his hands folded behind his head and a smile on his face. He looked as if he did not have a care in the world. A Pichu slept peacefully on his chest, curled up with her head nuzzled between her paws, and a Polytoad leaned against him, using one of his arms as a pillow. Polytoad looked asleep, but the boy knew better then that. Polytoad was always alert and protective of him whenever he sneaked out to Route 25.

The song playing on the radio ended, and a news cast began.

"I hope you enjoyed this last hours broadcast, brought to you by the Lavander Tower Radio Station! Don't change that dial! We have plenty more where that came from! But first, there is something very exciting to talk about! That's right, you heard it folks! Its been almost ten years since the Catastrophic cave-ins in Mt. Silver and Indigo Plateau area, taking the lives of several Pokemon Trainers, and changing the Pokemon League forever."

The boy cracked his eyes open as he heard the broadcast. He blinked as his eyes got adjusted to the sun.

"That's right! That means, this years Pokemon League Competition will be a special one!"

He leaned up, knocking the Pichu off his chest. She tumbled into the grass beside him with a startled leaned up with him, looking at the boy with a confused look. Pichu smiled and straightened up, shaking her fluffy body all over before nuzzling down next to him again. The boy reached down and ruffled the tuff of fur on top of her head, before looking up at the sky.

"The day after tomorrow will be a big day for any young people hoping to start their Pokemon Journeys! The day that new Trainers and old alike, can register for the 10th Annual, New Indigo League is almost here!"

* * *

**Episode 1:**  
**A New Pokemon Journey**

"Dewgong! Ice Beam now!" an older woman shouted, pointing her finger out over the large, Olympic-sized pool serving as the arena. She stood on one of several thick mats that lay drifting across the pool, her apponent, a young trainer - looking to win his Cascade Badge - stood on one directly across from her. He clenched his fists and growled. His Pokemon, a small Turtwig, braced itself on a mat in front of him.

"Prepare yourself, Turtwig!" The trainer called.

The woman smirked as the water in front of her burst up, spraying water everywhere, as a large white Pokemon leapt from the pool and landed on the mat in front of her. The Pokemon looked like an elegant white seal, with a large beautiful horn, and mermaid tail. It tilted its head down, as a giant beam of ice shot from its horn.

"Dodge it Turtwig!" The trainer called.  
"I don't think so!" The woman replied, "Dewgong, don't let it get away!"

The small turtle-like Pokemon tried to leap out of the way, but it could not get away from large Dewgong's attack. The woman smirked again, as the beam of ice collided with the small Turtwig, and sent it flying backwards - soaring at the trainer, and knocking him into the water.

_Turtwig is unable to battle. The Opposing Trainer is out of usable Pokemon. Gym Leader Misty has won the battle!_

The woman looked up at a speaker as it blasted out, and then back at the kid as he tried to climb out of the pool, a defeated expression on his face.

Misty smiled, "Don't feel so glum, kid. You can always try again."  
The kid grumbled something, and then walked out towards the exit.

Misty sighed and leapt from the mat and over to the edge of the pool.

"Pi! Pi! Pi!"

Misty gasped and looked up as a small electric mouse came running towards her. She laughed and opened her arms as it pounced at her, colliding with her chest and snuggling itself into the nook of her neck.

"Thank you!" Misty laughed,  
"Pi! Pichu! Pi!" It cheered,  
"Nice match, Mom!"

Misty gasped and looked up. A kid, barely ten years old walked up from the sidelines. His shaggy black hair spiked everywhere, and Misty made a mental note to send the kid for a haircut soon. His green eyes were only a shade darker then her own, though besides that, he looked almost nothing like her. Whenever she looked at him, she just wished he looked at least a little more like her, and not like his good-for-nothing father.

The small electric mouse in her arms turned, its large ears - nearly twice the size of its own head - twitched. It cheered and jumped from her arms as the boy approached. He held his arms out, catching it, and placing the small Pokemon on his shoulder.

"It wasn't that great." Misty sighed, "Pokemon trainers today are not as strong as the ones from my day."  
"That just means less work for me!" The kid cheered, his hands clenching into fists in excitement, "Man, I am so pumped to start my Pokemon Journey!"  
Misty paled, "Azure… I thought we agreed that you'd stay here and train to be a Gym Leader."  
"But Mom!" Azure complained, "I'll never be strong enough to be a Gym Leader by staying here! I don't even want to be a Gym Leader! I want to be a Pokemon Master!"  
"Pi! Pichu!" Pichu nodded.  
Misty sighed, placing her hands on her hips, "You just like your father! So what? You expect me to just let you go, and never see you again like him?"  
Azure frowned, "You'll see me again… I have to come back to beat you for a badge!"  
"That's not my point." Misty snapped, "I'd feel much better if you stayed here and trained to be a Gym Leader."

Azure frowned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a flyer, "Look! Day after tomorrow, they are issuing new Starter Pokemon in Pallet Town to all kids off age to start their Pokemon Journey! And I'm ten years old now… so please Mom! Please can I go?"  
"I'll need to think about it some more." Misty sighed, looking away from him.  
"But we've been talking about this for years!" Azure begged, "Look, I'll just get my starter Pokemon… and I will remember to call every day, and visit whenever I can. Please Mom!"  
"Piiiiiiiii!" Pichu mimicked.  
Misty looked up at the little Pichu on her son's shoulder. Both Azure and Pichu folded their hands in front of them, their eyes widening. She sighed in defeat, "Oh can those eyes get any bigger. Fine."  
"Really!" Azure gasped,  
"But how do you expect to get to Pallet Town without a Pokemon? Pichu just hatched last week, she's too little to fight." Misty frowned,  
"I'll fly over or something." Azure shrugged, "Thank you Mom!"  
"Pichu!" Pichu nodded.  
"I'd feel better if you took one of my Pokemon instead of getting a Starter." Misty frowned.  
"No!" Azure gasped, "I need to do this myself! I want to become the world's best Pokemon Master, without any help! Right Pichu?"  
"Pi! Pichu!" The little mouse nodded.  
Misty rubbed her face with her hand, "I guess its two against one then. I suppose you'll be taking Pichu with you then?"  
"Of course!" Azure nodded, pulling Pichu from his shoulders and holding her in his arms, "Pichu's my pal! We go everywhere together, right buddy?"  
"Pi!" She nodded.  
"And she was my birthday present after all." Azure finished, "I raised her from an egg and everything!"  
"I know." Misty sighed.

She stepped forward and threw her arms around him, hugging him close.  
"M-Mom!" Azure blushed.  
"When did you get so big?" Misty sighed,  
"Mom!" Azure pushed her away, "I'm ten years old now! I'm not a baby anymore!"  
"Pichu!" Pichu agreed.  
"I suppose you'll want to leave tomorrow then, huh…do you want me to come with you to Pallet Town?" She asked,  
"No!" Azure shook his head, "You've got to look after the Gym after all!"  
Misty nodded, "Ok then. You'd better start packing then…"  
"Yes!" Azure cheered, "This is so awesome! Come on, Pichu! Let's get packing!"  
"Pi!" She nodded.

Azure turned and started running from the Gym, and towards the door that led to the living quarters. Misty watched them go and sighed. She knew for ten years now that Azure would probably leave… though she did not want him too…

All she could remember was all the trouble her and her friends got into when she was on her Pokemon Journey… would Azure get in trouble like that? Would he be safe? Would he come home? She wrapped her arms around herself and hugged herself. All she could really do now, was hope… hope he would stay safe, and at least come home once in a while… unlike that useless excuse for his father.

… … …

Azure scrambled through his room, throwing whatever he thought he needed into his backpack…

A change of clothes… a sleeping bag… pajamas… his swim trunks… his phone…

Pichu tried her best in helping. She would go around and pick stuff up, and walk over to Azure with it… a couple of mismatched socks, a book, and then several useless stuff he put aside because he knew he did not need it.

The last thing Pichu grabbed, was a large soft baby blanket from the bed. The blanket was covered with little pictures of Pokemon eggs of all sizes and shapes. She wrapped herself up in it, before hoping off the bed and walking over to him.

"Pi?" She asked, clenching the blanket tightly,  
"Of course you can bring your blankie." Azure smiled, patting her on the head.  
"Pichu!" She cheered, she tried to hand it to him, but he shook his head.  
"We're not leaving till tomorrow, you should hold on to it till then." He said.  
"Chu!" She said softly, before climbing up onto Azure's lap, wrapping the blanket around herself again.  
Azure stroked her head absentmindedly, "I wonder if we're forgetting anything?"

Pichu shrugged. Azure laughed and leaned back against the bed. Should he put Pichu in a pokeball? He'd never even thought about it before… he had gotten her as an egg, and just incubated her till she hatched. But, did that mean he intended to use her as one of his Pokemon? The thought never accrued to him before. Pichu was a Pokemon after all, and while Pichu's were known not to be all that great in fights - due to their inability to control their electric powers - they did eventually evolve into Pikachu…

"Pi…" Pichu sighed, drifting off to sleep on his lap.

Oh well. He'll worry about it later. He stroked her head, and closed his eyes. He was just drifting off to sleep, when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." He sighed, looking over as the door started to open.

Mom walked in. She had gotten changed from that awful swimsuit she usually wears while battling at the pool, and had tied her hair back up. She looked tired…

"Hey, Mom." Azure smiled.  
"I've got something for you." Mom said, walking over and sitting on the ground across from him,  
"For me?" Azure asked.

Mom nodded, holding out her hand. Azure reached over and grabbed whatever it was she was holding. It looked like a wristwatch, with a large display screen.

"While you were packing, I went down to the PokeMart and bought this for you." She stated,  
"Cool!" Azure smiled, he looked at it in confusion, "Um… what is it?"  
Mom laughed, "It's a PokeGear. Trainers use them for a variety of different things. You can install different apps onto it as well. I already installed the clock, radio, calendar, map, and phone already into it. "  
Azure felt his eyes get bigger and bigger as she listed off all the neat features of the PokeGear, "Mom… thank you! This is awesome!"  
"I just want to make sure your safe, and that you will call every now and then." Mom frowned.  
"You're the best!" Azure nodded,  
"Oh, and I talked to a friend of mine, and he is willing to fly you over to Pallet, he is visiting family there, before heading out."  
"Awesome!" Azure cheered, "This is going to be so cool!"  
"Yes." Mom nodded, "The Kanto region is really a remarkable place. I know you'll have fun."

She reached over and stroked Pichu's head. The baby Pokemon sighed in its sleep. "You make sure to take care of Pichu. Ok?"  
"I will!" Azure nodded,  
Mom stood up, "I'm proud of you, son. But if you want to be in Pallet Town by tomorrow, you should get some sleep. My friend will be here early tomorrow to pick you up."  
Azure nodded, scooping up the sleeping Pokemon on his lap, and placing her gently on the bed, "Man! I'm too excited to sleep! This is going to be awesome!"  
"Good night son." Mom rolled her eyes,  
"Can't I watch one more episode of 'Who's That Pokemon?' before bed?" He begged, "I'm wide awake, and its only nine-o'clock!"  
"Fine. Just one episode." Mom agreed, "Then its off to bed."  
Azure nodded, "You're the best!"

Mom sighed, before turning and leaving the room. Azure waited until she left, and then flicked on the TV, before getting into his pyjama's, and snuggling into bed. He was going to make sure nothing went wrong! He would be in Pallet Town a day early, just to make sure he got the best Pokemon, and to make sure nothing goes wrong! Who would he pick? The Kanto Starters are Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle…

Guess he'll decide tomorrow.

… … …

"Pi…pi…piCHU!"

Azure woke up with a scream as he felt the electricity course through him, sending him flying off the bed, taking the blankets with him. He hit the ground with a gasp.

"Wha?" He groaned, leaning up, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Pichu was asleep on the bed, curled up in her 'blankie' and snoring softly. Her cheeks sparked slightly with the after-effects of her unintentional assault. Azure groaned and rubbed his face. This was how he usually got up… Pichu's had little control over their electricity, and she usually accidentally let out a charge while she was sleeping. The attack was never all that strong, and she never meant to do it.

Azure sighed and looked out the window. The sun was just rising. Perfect! He was up bright and early! With an excited cheer, he quickly threw the last of his essentials in his bag and went snooping for the perfect outfit for his journey. He opened his closet and grabbed some black fingerless gloves, a sterdy pair of blue jeans, a black shirt with the Cerulean Gym logo on it, and threw a green, blue, and white jacket into his backpack for safe keeping. He turned back to the bed, and scooped up the sleeping Pokemon, cradling her in his arms and wrapping the 'blankie' around her as he went. He ran down the stairs and into the gym.

It was empty, and the only lights in the gym was that of the early morning sun, casting a golden-pink glow over everything.

"Polytoed."

Azure stopped and turned around, startled by sudden noise. He looked down and saw his Mom's Polytoed standing at his feet behind him, blinking in the dull light.

"Hey Polytoed." Azure smiled, shifting Pichu's weight to one arm, and reaching down to pat the Pokemon on the head, "Don't worry Polytoed. I'll come back to visit!"  
"You better make sure you do!"

Azure jumped, and looked up, smiling when he saw his Mom standing at the foot of the stairs, her arms folded over her chest.

"Mom!" He cheered, running over to her.  
"I thought you'd be up at the crack of dawn again." She smiled, reaching down to rustle his hair, "Eager as always."  
"I'm so excited!" Azure cheered, "I promise I'll become the world's greatest Pokemon Master!"  
"I'm sure you will." She nodded, "Just remember, Azure, there are hundreds of other children all with the same goal of becoming a Pokemon Master, so don't get carried away with yourself. Being the best Pokemon Trainer you can be is also an admirable goal."  
"I'm not Dad. I won't get carried away and take off to never-be-seen-again." Azure pouted, "But, I will become a Pokemon Master! I just know it!"  
"As long as you do your best, that's all that matters." Mom nodded.

She reached down and pulled Pichu from his arms. The little mouse twitched and slowly opened its eyes, before stretching, and yawning loudly.

"Good morning, Pichu!" Mom smiled, rubbing the Pokemon's head.  
"Chaaaaaa…" She yawned.

She hugged Pichu tightly, and the Pokemon hugged her back, before squirming out of the blanket, and hoping back to Azure's shoulder. Mom folded the blanket up, and Azure turned around so she could put the blanket into his backpack.

The two headed outside. A man was waiting there with some giant flying Pokemon that Azure recognized from 'Who's That Pokemon?'. It was a giant Fearow. The Trainer was a man Azure did not recognize. He was leaning against the Cerulean Gym sign.

"Ready to go, kid?" He asked.  
Azure nodded, "Am I ever!"

Mom sighed, "So… you remember to call, ok? And make sure you eat healthy, and take care of yourself… and don't get into to much trouble."  
Azure nodded, "I promise Mom."  
"That's my boy." She smiled, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a big hug.

He pulled away from her and the man stepped away from the sign and climbed onto the back of the Fearow, reaching down to help Azure up.

"Hold on tight kid. We'll be in Pallet Town before you know it." He stated.  
"Sweet!" He cheered, pulling Pichu off his shoulder, and placing her safely between them.

The giant Fearow cawed out loudly, before taking to the air. Mom waved after them.

"Remember!" She called, "Be safe!"

Azure smiled and turned away from her, looking out at the sky as the ascended.

Finally! He was going to start his Pokemon Journey!

* * *

Next Episode:

Episode 2  
A New Goal

Upon entering Pallet Town, Azure and Pichu head to the Pokemon Lab to wait for tomorrow, when they can finally get their Starter Pokemon, and start their Pokemon Journey… however, they meet someone unexpected at the door. Plus, the competition does not seem to friendly... can Azure deal with the competition, before its too late to get a Starter?

* * *

A.N: Blame this RP for the distractions on my behalf, for why I have not updated any of my fanfics for awhile... I will do that soon, promise! I had to move, so all of last month was spent packing, moving, unpacking, and all that fun jazz. Then I got sucked into the RP by a friend, and it takes up most of my time... sorry! Its a really fun RP :P

Please make sure to read the Ao3 version, if you would like to see the pictures included with this story!


	2. Episode 2: A New Goal

Azure and Pichu have started their Pokemon Journey! With the help of a friend of his mother's, Azure flew from Cerulean City, to Pallet Town - a town famous for being the starting place for some legendary Trainers. Here, Azure plans on finally getting his starter Pokemon and starting his own Pokemon Journey! What kind of adventures await him today?

* * *

**EPISODE 2**  
**A New Goal**

Azure laughed as he ran through the last of the tall grass leading into Pallet Town, the Trainer that had let them down in a field on the other side followed him silently. Azure slowed to a halt, his green eyes widening as he looked around. Pallet Town looked nothing like he thought it would. He expected it to be… bigger, grander. After all, so many great Trainers had started from here! But in reality, from where he stood, it looked smaller then Cerulean City… much smaller. Still, the place was crowded with wannabe trainers, all of them desperate to get one of the three Starter Pokemon.

"Well, that's it kid." The Trainer said, "Good luck tomorrow!"  
Azure nodded, "Thanks for the ride!"

The Trainer nodded and walked off into the crowd. Azure sighed and looked back at the town, "Well Pichu… I didn't expect such a great turnout…"  
"Piiiii…" Pichu sighed, her ears folding back.  
"Don't worry Pichu!" Azure cheered, "We're here nice and early! We'll camp out in front of the Professor's place, and get first dibs!"  
"Pi! Pichu!" She pumped her little fist in the air.

Azure smiled and shifted his backpack on his back, before walking into the town. The place was packed! It was like every kid from the Kanto Region had come down here for their chance to start their Pokemon Journey.

_…Just remember, Azure, there are hundreds of other children all with the same goal, and there can only be one Pokemon Master, so don't get carried away with yourself. Being the best Pokemon Trainer you can be is also an admirable goal…_

Azure could hear his mother's words ring through his mind, and he shook his head. He can't let himself thing that way! These other wannabe trainers don't stand a chance.

Pushing through the crowd, he made his way over towards the Lab. He looked at it in awe… he had never seen such a unique building before! There were several lots around it used to store Pokemon that Trainers had caught, and just seeing the Pokemon frolicking in the fields was getting his blood pumping. Azure walked over towards the old fashioned wooden fence corralling Pokemon in the field. Something immediately caught his eye, and he laughed, running the rest of the way over and leaned against it.

Azure forced himself to turn away from the Tauros. He scooped Pichu back up, and walked over towards the Lab. A large poster was taped on the glass doors leading into the lab. Azure stopped walking in front of it, it was the same poster that was in the flyer he showed his Mom…

Azure looked over the poster, at the picture of the three starter Pokemon…

Charmander…  
Bulbasaur…  
Squirtle…

He looked behind him at the crowd of people. There were only three starter Pokemon, and all these people wanting to get their hands on one of them…

He plopped himself beside the door and sighed.

"Pi?" Pichu asked.  
"We'll wait right here!" Azure nodded, "As long as we wait in line overnight, we can be sure to get one of the first starters!"  
"Pichu!" She cheered. She turned around on his shoulder and reached down for his backpack, tugging at the zipper. Azure blinked and gently pulled her off his shoulder, and pulled his backpack off,  
"You want something inside?" He asked,  
"Chu!" She nodded, her ears going back and her eyes widening.  
Azure laughed, "I know what you want. You want your blankie, right?"  
"Pichu!" She begged.  
Azure nodded and quickly opened the zipper, pulling out the blanket and passing it to the baby Pokemon, "Here ya go pal!"  
"Pi, Pichu!" She thanked, wrapping the soft fabric around herself.

Azure closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall of the lab with a sigh. But before he could even relax, an unfamiliar voice spoke up, startling him. He jumped up to his feet with a gasp.

Azure looked up at the woman talking. It was an older woman. Her greying hair still had traces of brown here and there, and her brown eyes were rimmed with deep wrinkles, creased by the large smile on her face.

"No! It's ok!" Azure smiled, rubbing the back of his head switching Pichu to one arm as he did, "I was dozing off! Its my fault Ms!  
"So polite!" She smiled, "Oh my! Is that a Pikachu?"  
"No ma'am." Azure shook his head, "This is Pichu! She's Pikachu's baby form."  
"Pichu!" Pichu greeted.  
"A baby Pikachu?" She gasped, placing a hand on her cheek, "Please may I hold it?"  
"Uh…" Azure said, holding out Pichu towards her, "Sure!"  
The woman's smile broadened, and she gently grabbed Pichu from him, and cradled it in her arms, "Its so cute!" She looked back down at Azure, "You and Pichu remind me of someone… what's your name, if you don't mind me asking?"  
"Its Azure Waterflower." He replied,  
"Waterflower…" She whispered, her expression falling for a second, but quickly being replaced by a large smile, "Well Azure, you can't expect to wait outside all day! Where are you staying?"  
"Well…" Azure said, looking over at the Pokemon Lab, "I was planning on staying here so I get my first choice of Pokemon!"  
"That is ridiculous!" She gasped, she reached down and grabbed Azure's hand, "Come with me!"  
"Uh? Where?" Azure asked,  
"I'll make you some nice hot tea at my house." She promised, "Oh! My name is Delia Ketchum."  
"Nice too meet you Ms. Ketchum!" Azure smiled.  
"Pichu pi!" Pichu agreed.  
"Awe! Its just so cute!" Ms. Ketchum smiled, nuzzling Pichu's head.

The two fell silent as they walked, Ms. Ketchum seemed lost in thought, and Azure was not sure what to say. Finally, Ms. Ketchum slowed down to a stop.

"Is something wrong?" Azure asked,  
"Azure…" She sighed, turning around to look at him, "You really do remind me of…someone."  
"Who?" He asked without really thinking.  
"My son." She replied, "He was about your age when he left Pallet Town…"  
Azure grinned, "Really? That's so cool!"  
She looked sadly away, "I wish so."

The way she said that, sent a shiver up Azure's spine. It was so full of grief and loneliness that it almost hurt to hear. Pichu in her arms looked up at her, her ears twitching, before leaning up and licking Ms. Ketchum's face. Ms. Ketchum forced a phony-looking smile, and patted the baby Pokemon.

"Did… something happen to your son?" Azure asked, feeling awkward.  
Ms. Ketchum sighed, "Perhaps its best to talk about this inside?"  
Azure nodded.

… … …

Before Azure knew it, he found himself sitting on an old-fashioned chair, in the middle of an old-fashioned dining room, in an old, traditional style house, with an old Mr. Mime handing him a steaming cup of tea.

"Thank you!" Azure said, grabbing the cup and taking a sip.  
"Thank you for your help, Mimey." Ms. Ketchum smiled as she sat down across from Azure with her own cup.

'Mimey' then went and grabbed an apple from the counter, returning to hand it to Pichu, who was nestled on the couch in the living room, her attention glued to the television. She cheered and grabbed the apple, which was nearly as big as her own head, before turning back to her cartoons.

"Ms. Ketchum…" Azure asked,  
"You want to know what happened to my son." She sighed, taking a sip of her tea, "He was around your age, when he left on his own Pokemon Journey. He left Pallet Town with a Pikachu."

She paused and looked away, "I was so worried when he left… I made him promise to call me every now and again… and for awhile he did so. He called to check up on me, and even came home to visit a few times… but as time went on, those calls became less and less. I told myself that he was a busy Pokemon Trainer, and did not have time to call, and as long as he kept sending Pokemon to Professor Oak, I knew he was alright." She looked down at her tea, "But then, several years after he started his Pokemon Journey… he seemed to stop catching Pokemon. I asked Professor Oak about it, and he said not to worry, that my son may just be in an area where there are no Pokemon that he did not already have… I kept a watch on the TV. I had been following the Gym Reports ever since he left, watching the news report every single badge he won… but as the months went by, there was still nothing. No Pokemon coming in, no badges being won…"

"You must have been worried." Azure whispered.

"Yes." She nodded, "I was very worried. Though, I told myself that my son was an adult now, and maybe something had come up? But as time continued to pass without any word… I couldn't help it anymore. I had Mimey take me to Viridian City, and I asked the Gym Leader, an old friend of my son's, to help me look for him. So he closed the Gym down for a bit, and took off to help find him… though, after months of searching, he came back empty handed."

"Did something happen to him?" Azure gasped. Pichu jumped up onto his shoulder from behind, apparently finding this conversation more entertaining then the TV now.

"He said he managed to track down the people who were travelling with my son the last time anyone heard from him. His friends both had to go home. One of them had an emergency at his gym, and had to return. Apparently something happened after that, which caused the other girl to give up her own Pokemon Journey, and return home. Apparently, he told me that she seemed 'hopeless and defeated' when he saw her, but both of his travelling companions refused to tell him anything."

"What could possibly happen to make someone give up on their dream?" Azure gasped.

"I don't know." She shook her head, "I do know that my son did not give up there, and if he did, he did not return home. I became desperate after that, and went to Officer Jenny and filed a 'Missing Persons Case', and she assured me that the Officers in every town would be on the lookout for him." She paused and sighed, before taking another sip of her tea, "Word started to spread, and with the help of the townsfolk, I even opened up a reward for anyone who had tips that could lead us to my son's whereabouts… tips came in daily, but none of them checked out. None of them even formed any sort of pattern… I was beginning to fear the worst, when we finally got a clue. Shortly after word started to spread about my son's disappearance, Professor Oak's lab was broken into, though the Professor later said the break-in was odd. My son's Box was completely emptied, the thieves that broke in stole every single Pokemon he had stored at the lab, disabled the box, and deleted his account, making it so that if he caught a Pokemon, they would not automatically be transferred to the Lab."

Azure raised an eyebrow, "Was his Pokemon the only ones stolen?"

She shook her head, "That is the odd thing. The thieves then searched the Lab, and stole one of every Pokemon stored there, that was not in my son's box."  
"Do you think it was him?" Azure asked,

She shook her head, "My son was so sweet and innocent. He always went through so much trouble to help everyone around him… but this terrible break-in did make me think that something terrible could have happened to my son… the case went from a 'Missing Persons' to a 'Possible Kidnapping Case', but there was still no information… no ties, no proof… Officer Jenny did her best, but in the end - she had to shut down the case. There was just no evidence, and no leads… the case went cold."

"Did you ever see your son again?" Azure asked.  
She bit her bottom lip, and Mimey walked over to pat her shoulder. She shook her head, "No."  
"I'm so sorry." Azure whispered,  
"So you see…" Ms. Ketchum ordered, "You HAVE to make sure to call your Mother, at least once a week! And never forget, even though you are on your own, and travelling the world, she is still your mother, and has a right to know where you are!"  
Azure nodded, "I promise, I'll remember to call."  
Ms. Ketchum's expression softened, "That's a good boy. Now how about I go make some dinner?"  
"Oh!" Azure gasped, "You don't have to do that, Ms!"  
"Oh shush." She wagged her finger at him, "I always try and help out new Trainers that come to town. And besides, I made you sit here and listen to my story - the least I could do is make you dinner."  
"I was happy to listen." Azure replied, "I mean, I bet its really hard for you, and talking about it will get it off your chest, and make sure the legacy of your son lives on, and the lessons learned from his journey get passed to someone else."  
Ms. Ketchum paused, her eyes watering as she looked at Azure. She quickly crossed the table and pulled him into a large hug, "You really do remind me of my boy."

… … …

Azure could not sleep. Ms. Ketchum set up a bed for him on the couch in the living room - and with a stomach full of her delicious cooking, he thought he would fall asleep without any problems. But as the moon hung high overhead, and the sounds of Noctowls hooting outside, Azure found himself wide awake. Pichu was snoring softly from the pillow beside him, curled up in her blanket. He wished he could fall asleep too… tomorrow was going to be a big day! But… he couldn't tell at this moment if he was excited for tomorrow, or worried what happened to Ms. Ketchum's son?

Ms. Ketchum said that the Viridian Gym Leader said that his partner gave up on her journey and went home…

Why would anyone give up like that?

Did Ms. Ketchum's son give up too?

He rolled over and sighed, his mind wandering. He started thinking about his Dad. Did he give up too? Mom never told him much about him… only that he was a Pokemon Trainer who left to continue his journey while he was still just a small child. Azure could not even remember what the guy looked like…

Sighing with defeat, he leaned up, trying not to disturb Pichu. Being a Pokemon Trainer was a common thing… it seemed everyone did it now… but then… how come there were so many adults with ordinary jobs and families? Were they all people who gave up on their journeys? Would he give up?

No!

He would make sure he would defeat that worthless excuse for a father he had, and succeed where he didn't. He would become a Pokemon Master, where his father had not been heard from since he left. Azure was certain it was because he failed, and was too embarrassed to return home because of it… well, when that bastard recognized his son standing on the Victory Platform at the Indigo Plateau… the thought of him squirming with jealousy made Azure smile.

He pushed himself off the couch, and walked over to the window, pushing the blinds aside to look out… the sun would be rising in a few hours…

With a sigh, he laid back down, and closed his eyes.

"Azure! Azure, its time to get up!"

Azure rolled over, "Five more minutes Mom…"  
"Mom? Now that's precious. Come on Azure. Its already six am."  
Azure's eyes shot open, and he leaned up, Pichu groaned as she was jolted awake by the movement, "S-Six o'clock already? Oh man… I slept in."  
"Nonsense. Of course you didn't. The Pokemon Lab does not open until eight." Ms. Ketchum smiled. She had been leaning over him to wake him up, but thankfully leaned back in time for him to jump up, "And I refuse to let you leave without a good breakfast. No point leaving for your Pokemon Journey with an empty stomach!"  
Azure smiled and nodded, "Thank you!"

He felt like he was only asleep for a moment. He felt as if he had just leaned back and closed his eyes… but here he was, feeling the warmth of the morning sun wash over his face, while Ms. Ketchum folded up the blankets, and cleaned up the 'bed'. Azure offered to help, but she just pointed him to the table, where there was a delicious spread of pancakes, strawberries, and orange juice.

"Eat up." Ms. Ketchum smiled, "And if you wanted to be first in line, you should leave shortly after."  
Azure sat down at the table and started shoving food into his mouth, "Thanks so much!"

Ms. Ketchum chuckled as she put the blanket away in a closet, "The way you eat even reminds me of my son…"

Azure finished the last pancake, and wiped his face, before turning back to Ms. Ketchum, "I promise Ms! I will look for your son!"  
Ms. Ketchum looked slightly taken back. She smiled and nodded, "Thank you… but its been over ten years since he disappeared… I doubt you'll find him."  
Azure frowned, he stood up and clenched his fist, "I promise you! I will find your son, and become the best trainer the Indigo Plateau has ever seen!"  
"Those are pretty bold goals." Ms. Ketchum smiled, "Just promise me you won't get caught up in them?"  
Azure walked back to the couch and pulled his backpack onto his back, "I won't! But I'll hold true to my promise Ms! I will do whatever I can to try and track down your son!"  
Ms. Ketchum smiled and wrapped her arms around herself, "Thank you, Azure. That means a lot."

Azure nodded, and held his arm out for Pichu to climb up. The little electric mouse finished her meal, and pounced onto Azure's arm, climbing up until she rested on his shoulder.

"Thanks for the meal!" Azure said,  
"It was my pleasure!" She smiled, "But wait… you're not going on your Quest like that, are you?"  
"Like what?" Azure asked, looking down at his outfit…

He had chosen something simple after all… plain blue jeans, black and red runners, and a signature black shirt, with a small picture of the Cascade Badge at the top left hand side of his shirt. He thought he had chosen something light and easy to travel in…

"Where is your jacket?" She pointed out.  
Azure smiled, "In my bag."  
"And what about a hat? No Pokemon Trainer should be without one." She said.  
"I don't need one." Azure shrugged,  
"Yes you do young man!" Ms. Ketchum folded her arms, "What will cover your head from the sun as you travel? What about heat stroke? What if it rains?"  
"My jacket has a hood." Azure shrugged.  
"Nonsense!" She sighed.

She turned around, "Wait here for a second."  
"O…k…" Azure tilted his head, wondering what the heck was going on. She did not offer an explanation, and just hurried up the stairs. He had not seen the upstairs of the house, and thought it was rude to follow her up, since she asked him to wait there.

A few seconds later, she returned with something bundled up in an old blanket. She stopped in front of Azure and slowly unwrapped it. Azure watched as something revealed itself from the blanket… a very old, and very worn out hat.

It was red and white in colour, and the symbol that had once been on the front was mostly faded, and there was a small hole in the top corner where the red and white fabric met, but the way Ms. Ketchum was looking at it, showed that she cared about it an awful lot. She looked up from the hat, at Azure and smiled, before reaching over and placing it gently on his head. Azure gasped. It smelt heavily of campfire.

"Pi?" Pichu asked, tilting her head and placing her paws on the top of the hat, her little nose twitching as she sniffed it.  
"That hat used to belong to my son." She smiled.  
"Ma'am…" Azure gasped, "I can't take this…"  
"No!" Ms. Ketchum shook her head, "You can… maybe, it will lead you back to its original owner some day, and help you on your journey?"

Azure smiled. He felt a cocktail of different feelings all at once. He felt proud that she would give him such a treasured thing, and he felt nervous, and suddenly overwhelmed, and responsible.

"I will find him." Azure nodded, "And when I do, I'll give him back his hat, and tell him to come home!"  
"Pi! Pichu!" Pichu nodded.  
"Yes!" Ms. Ketchum cheered, "I have faith in you! Now come on, you should get moving if you want to make it to the Lab first!"  
"Oh? Right!" Azure gasped, he turned and started to run for the exit, "Thank you Ms. Ketchum!"  
"Bye now!" She smiled, and waved him off.

Azure walked out the front door, and waved back at her, before taking off down the street, running towards the Pokemon Lab, beaming a large smile as he ran.

Today was finally the day he would get his Starter Pokemon, and start on his Pokemon Journey! He was so excited!

* * *

Next Time:

Next time:

Azure and Pichu have finally arrived in Pallet Town, and are only one day away, from starting their Pokemon Journey! What starter will Azure choose?

But what's this? The competition does not seem to friendly. Can Azure deal with the other wannabe-trainers in time to get his starter pokemon? Or will Azure have to sit out on the most important year of his life?

* * *

AN: Sorry this took so long, I really struggled on the formatting for this chapter... nothing seemed to want to format right, and I ended up having to write the whole thing in HTML instead of Rich Text... anyone who knows HTML knows how annoying that would be XD


	3. Episode 3: Tainted Grey

Last time on Pokemon - Kanto Quest:

Azure and Pichu arrived in Pallet Town, where they prepared to settle down, and wait the night in front of the lab, only to meet an old lady by the name of Delia Ketchum, who took them home, and gave them a place to stay and a meal. There, Azure was reminded of the cold, hard facts of how getting carried away with your goals hurts those around you. He learned that his father was not the only one who went missing on his Pokemon Journey, but Ms. Ketchum's son as well. He promised her that while he was on his journey, he would try and find her son, and in return, she gave Azure her son's old hat.

Now Azure and Pichu are on their way to the Pokemon Lab, to obtain a starter, since Pichu is too small to battle. What kind of Starter will Azure choose?

* * *

**Episode 3**

**Pallet Town**

**Town of Tainted Grey Beginnings?**

Azure ran down the street as fast as he could, Pichu clinging to his back. He had slid the hat Ms. Ketchum had given him into his backpack the moment he had left, just because he was afraid of ruining it more then it already was. He could see the Pokemon Lab up ahead! The excitement was almost too much…

Suddenly, he felt something tangle up with his ankle, and he tripped, flying through the air, and landing hard on the ground.

"Ow…" Azure groaned, sitting up and looking behind him, "What did I trip over?"  
"Me you doofus!"

Azure looked up. A tall kid with pointy red hair, and sharp blue eyes stared down at him, his face twisted in a mocking sneer. He looked down and saw the kid's leg was sticking out…

"You tripped me!" Azure gasped,  
The kid shrugged, "Don't blame me for your clumsiness, _baby_!"  
"Baby?" Azure said, "I'm not a baby!"  
"Sure look like one to me!" He laughed, "Hey guys! Come look at the baby with his baby Pokemon!"

A group of kids materialized from the side of the street, forming a tight circle around them.

"Pichu…" Pichu cried nervously, clinging to the back of Azure's head.  
"It's alright, Pichu." Azure promised, pulling himself up, "Why did you trip me?"  
"Just like a baby." The kid laughed, "Blame others for his lil' booboos."  
The kids around them started laughing.  
"Stop that!" Azure snapped, "You tripped me, and you know it!"  
"What are you going to do about it, baby?" He laughed.

Azure balled his hands into fists. Without thinking, he reached out for the kid who tripped him, wanting to punch the kid right in the face! But something held him back. He gasped as the straps of his backpack pulled him back.

"Pichu!" Pichu whined, climbing over Azure's shoulder and clinging to the front of his shirt. "Wha?" Azure gasped, turning around to see one of the kids holding the front of his backpack and digging through it, "Stop that! Get out of there!" He spun around, pushing the other kid back. But unfortunately, Azure could feel the kid's hand pull something from his bag.

"Awe! Look here guys, baby has a baby blanket!" He laughed,  
Azure looked back and saw the kid holding Pichu's 'blankie', "Give that back!"

He tried to reach for it again, but someone grabbed his backpack again, pulling on it hard enough to knock him down. The gang around Azure started to laugh again.

"Awe! The little baby wants his blankie back!" One of them called,  
"Pichu! Chaaaa!" Pichu cried, her eyes wide as she stared at the blanket.  
"That belongs to Pichu!" Azure begged, "Give it back!"

The kid holding the blanket clenched it in both hands, holding it as if he was going to tear it.

"No!" Azure yelled.

Suddenly, a hand came out of nowhere and clenched tightly onto the kid's wrist. The kid gasped, and released the end of the blanket within that hand.

"What the?" He gasped, turning to see who had grabbed him. Azure followed his gaze. A tall kid, probably around their age was standing there, his blue-white hair was bone-straight, and long, tapering back to the back of his head, his bangs hanging down in his face. His blue-green eyes could be seen peering out through the bangs. He wore a grey shirt, under a black and red jacket, and black jeans. He did not look like your everyday average kid…

"Cyan!" The kid gasped.

Cyan did not say anything, just squeezed the kid's wrist tighter.

"Ah!" The kid cried, "L-let go! I'm sorry Cyan! I'm sorry!"  
"You shouldn't pick on others." Cyan said, his voice was soft, almost whisper-like, "Especially if they are weaker then you. There is no honour in defeating a helpless enemy. Now give the kid back the blanket."

"Weaker?" Azure frowned, he stood up and the kid walked over to him, holding out the blanket with a scowl. Azure grabbed the blanket from him, and the kids all ran off, leaving Azure and Cyan standing in the road.

"Um… Thanks." Azure said.  
"What are you doing here, kid?" Cyan replied, emotionlessly,  
"I'm here to get my Starter Pokemon and my Trainer's License." Azure explained,  
"You might as well just give up and go home." Cyan said, equally tonelessly. He turned and started walking towards the Lab.  
"No way!" Azure shook his head, chasing after the stranger, "I'm not going home! Not until I am a Pokemon Master!"  
"You will never be a master." Cyan replied,  
"What?" Azure growled, "Says who?"  
"I will become the Pokemon Master." Cyan stated coldly, "Anyone who stands in my way, will be squashed."  
Azure frowned, "No way! The title of Pokemon Master will belong to me!"

Cyan stopped walking and sighed, "Kid… do you know this town used to be called 'The City Pure White Beginnings'?"  
"Huh? Yeah! Of course I did!" Azure nodded.  
"Though time has tarnished that title." Cyan whispered, "Some famous people started their journeys here, and got further than anyone else ever has, and now everyone comes here. Their presence has polluted the area. Turning it into all the other towns."  
"Like those guys…" Azure whispered, looking over his shoulder, "Man, thanks again for saving me!"

He turned back to look at Cyan, but the kid was gone. Azure gasped and looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. Azure frowned and stopped to fold up the blanket, swinging the bag around his back to put it in…

"THE HAT!" Azure gasped, "Pichu! Where is my hat?"  
"Pichu?" Pichu shrugged,  
"Help me find it!" Azure asked, turning around and searching the ground,  
"Pi!" She nodded.

Azure searched everywhere he could, from where he fell, to the side of the streets, to even the path back to Ms. Ketchum's house… but he could not find it anywhere. With a defeated sigh, he collapsed on the curb, pulling his legs up and wrapping his arms around it. Pichu walked up and patted his leg.

"I can't believe I lost it already!" Azure cried, "Gah! How did I let this happen?"  
"Pi-cha pi!" Pichu cried, tugging on Azure's pant leg,  
"What is it?" Azure asked, looking up.

"Look at the baby."

Azure groaned when he recognized the voice, "Haven't you guys had enough?"

The group of kids came out of their hiding places again, each of them snickering.

"Its just like a baby to have to rely on others for help." One laughed, "My name is Ken Euro, and I will be the greatest Pokemon Master! Not you, not Cyan."  
"Yeah!"  
"He will!"  
"Ken's the greatest!"

Ken smirked as his gang cheered him on, "Don't you know baby, that the Indigo League is always won by a Trainer from Pallet Town? You don't stand a chance!"  
"Big talk coming from someone who just ran away from another trainer." Azure spat.  
"Why you!" Ken growled. He stopped and composed himself, "Everyone here knows not to mess with Cyan."  
"Cyan?" Azure asked, "That moody guy who just left?"

Ken slowly pulled his hand out from behind his back, and Azure's eyes widened when he saw what Ken had been hiding behind his back… it was Ms. Ketchum's son's hat!

"That's mine!" Azure gasped, "Give that back!" He leaned forward to grab it from Ken, but the other boy just jumped back.

Ken and his 'flunkies' started laughing, though they were looking around nervously - probably looking for Cyan or anyone else who would catch them. Azure grounded his teeth, "Give it back!"  
"You want it so bad?" Ken laughed, "Then come and get it!"

He turned around, and started running off down the street, his gang laughing and following after him.

"Hey!" Azure called, "Give that back!"  
"Piiiiichhhhuuuuuu!" Pichu called.  
"Come on Pichu!" Azure growled, scooping up the baby Pokemon and taking off after the 'bullies'.

The kids just laughed as they saw Azure chasing them and picked up the speed, dashing through the streets, and pushing anyone who got in their way aside. Azure growled, and Pichu's cheeks sparked as they chased them. They were fast, but Azure pushed himself harder, until he was gaining up to them…

Ken laughed, rounding a corner and dashing past the welcome sign. Azure's eyes gazed over it… 'Pallet Town: Town of Pure White Beginnings' … yeah right… these kids seems totally 'pure'… pure rotten. Cyan's words ran through his head - polluted was what he had called it, and Azure was finally seeing why Cyan thought that.

"Pichu!" Pichu called.

Azure stopped as fast as he could, nearly tripping himself in his efforts. He gasped as he regained his balance. The kids had took off through the tall grass on the outside of the town. A sign rested right before the grass reading:

ROUTE 1  
Pallet Town - Viridian City

WARNING:  
Do Not Proceed Through Tall Grass Without A Pokemon.  
For More Information:  
Please Visit the Pokemon Lab

"Piiii…" Pichu whined.  
"I know Pichu… but we don't have a choice." Azure sighed, "We need to get that hat back! I promises Ms. Ketchum I'd return it to her son when I found him!"  
"Chu!" She nodded.

Azure took a deep breath, before charging into the grass. He felt the tall grass tickle his legs through his jeans, but ignored it as he trudged forward. Pichu clung nervously to his back, her little face pressed into his hair. He kept his eyes open for any wild Pokemon.

A few Rattata ran by, but none of them seemed to be interested in him. The kids were just in front of him… he could see them! They exited the grass on the other side, and was standing in a small clearing. Azure burst through the grass and entered the clearing, watching them with suspicion as they fanned out and surrounded him.

"Looks like the baby wants to play." Ken laughed,  
"Give me back my hat!" Azure snapped,  
"Awe, this thing?" Ken laughed, putting the hat on his head, "Make me."

Azure balled his hands into fists. Without thinking, he charged at Ken, raising his fist to strike, but stopped suddenly when Ken held out his hand with a Pokeball in it. With a devilish smirk, Ken released his Pokemon, a Spearow sprung from the Pokeball and landed between its trainer, and Azure.

Azure gasped, looking down at the Spearow, the little bird looked back at him with cruel eyes.

"Pichu!" Pichu growled, arching herself over Azure's shoulder, eying the Spearow carefully.  
"If you want the hat back, lets have a Pokemon battle?" Ken smirked,  
"A battle? But I don't have a Pokemon!" Azure replied,  
"I'm guessing that shrimp on your shoulder is just a stuffed animal then?" Ken sneered,  
"Pichu is too little to fight!" Azure growled, "Just give me back my hat!"  
"Spearow! Peck attack, now!" Ken ordered, pointing at Azure.

Azure gasped, his eyes widening as Spearow took to the air with a loud cry, its large wings beating fast. It called out again and charged towards Azure. Azure gritted his teeth, and jumped out of the way, the Spearow's sharp beak nearly striking his arm.

"Hey!" Azure panted, climbing to his knees as he glared at Ken, "What are you doing?"  
"Come on baby, you gunna fight, or are we going to leave you for Rattata food?" Ken laughed, "Again! Spearow, peck!"

Azure jumped to his feet and tried to dodge the Spearow, but this time, he was not fast enough, and he let out a cry as he felt its sharp beak tear through his sleeve.

"Pichu!" Pichu gasped.

Azure braced himself, digging his heels into the dirt as he spun around to face Ken and his Spearow. He could feel something warm on his arm, and looked down to see a small trickle of blood dripping down his arm from where the Spearow tore his sleeve.

"This guy is serious…" Azure whispered,  
"Chu…" Pichu cried.  
"It'll be ok." Azure promised, "Ken! Call off your Pokemon! This isn't funny!"  
"Then why are you the only one not laughing?" Ken smirked.

Azure looked around, the ground that was surrounding him was laughing - apparently finding this entire situation hilarious. Azure could not think of a single funny thing about this…

"Well guys, don't let me hold you up. Feel free to join in the fun!" Ken ordered.

Azure tensed up as he saw three of them pull Pokeballs out, and summon their Pokemon - two more Spearow, and a Rattata…

"Attack!" Ken ordered, pointing at Azure.  
"Pi-cha!" Pichu yelled, pouncing from Azure's shoulder, and landing squarely on all fours in front of him.

Ken blinked a few times, his finger lowering slightly, before he burst out laughing, "Awe! Does the lil' baby want to fight?" The others joined in, laughing as hard as they could at Pichu.  
"Pichu no!" Azure gasped.

But Pichu was not listening, her eyes were glued on Ken, sparks flying up from her cheeks.

Ken laughed harder, "Just, get this over with Spearow!"  
"Spear!" Spearow called, flying up into the air, and charging towards Pichu.

The two other Spearow, and the Rattata followed by example, and charged at the little mouse.

"Pichu!" Azure yelled, running towards her, but before he could reach her, her entire body lit up with electricity.

"PICHU!" She yelled, electricity flying from her as she used her 'Thundershock' attack. Azure gasped and shielded his eyes as the electricity launched out, shocking the four Pokemon.

Ken growled, "Spearow!" But his surprise was short lived, as the electricity died down. He blinked and laughed. Pichu was laying on the ground, panting, her cheeks sizzling slightly, and her fur frizzed, the tips singed.

"What was that?" Ken laughed, His Spearow shaking off the attack, "Out of electricity already? And what? Did it just shock itself?"

"Pichu!" Azure gasped, running forward and scooping up the little mouse. He glared at Ken, his eyes narrowing, but he knew there was nothing much he could do…

The group around him were still laughing, and the sound was next to torture in his ears. He could feel the hairs on the back of his head prickle up, and could hear the tall grass sway in the wind behind him. Every sense seemed hyper-aware.

He knew this feeling quite well. It was something he had felt since he was a little kid, sneaking under the Nugget Bridge back in Cerulean City, to where he would escape in the afternoons to Routes 24 and 25. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins was all too familiar…

He tightened his grip around Pichu, and gritted his teeth. What did these kids want with him?

"Pi…cha…" Pichu whined.  
"Its ok, Pichu." Azure whispered, placing the baby Pokemon back on the ground, straightening up,  
"Does the baby want more?" Ken sneered,  
"Give me back my hat!" Azure snapped.  
"Make me." Ken laughed.

Azure growled under his breath, his mind clouding over in rage. Without thinking, he stormed forward, fist raised in the air to strike Ken.

"Rattata! Tackle attack!"

Azure barely heard the words, before he felt something collide with his side, he gasped in pain as the attack sent him flying sideways and into the grass, flattening a small section under him. His eyes were wide, and he was gasping for air as he laid there, the attack knocking the wind out of him.

"Pi!" Pichu cried, pulling herself up onto all fours,  
Azure coughed and followed suit, straightening up onto his hands and knees.

Ken walked up to the flattened grass, and dropped Ms. Ketchum's son's hat into the dirt.

"Stop!" Azure shouted.

With a mocking sneer, Ken stomped down on the hat, grinding it into the dirt, "You see kid, there is just way too much competition this year, a kid who needs a Starter Pokemon from the Lab doesn't deserve to be a Trainer."

Azure leaned up, his eyes glued to the hat, still crumbled under Ken's foot, and his mouth hanging open. The Spearow called out as they flew around him, and the Rattata waited patiently for more orders.

"Every year, there are more and more wannabe trainers appearing from the woodwork." Ken spat, "And that is why we're here, to make sure losers like you don't further mess up the system."  
"Who are you to say who can be a Trainer and who can't?" Azure shouted,  
"If you can't beat us - then your not worthy to train Pokemon." Ken retorted, "I'm bored. Let's finish this!"

"Pichu!" Pichu shouted, jumping to her feet and running forward, towards Azure.  
"Finish em!" Ken gave the order.

The world blurred around Azure, and he felt his brain click off. Everything seemed like it was moving in slow motion as he forced himself up to his feet, and ran forward, quickly scooping up Pichu and curling around her, tucking her safely underneath him, and away from the attacking Pokemon.

"SPEAROW!" The birds called,

Azure squeezed his eyes shut, and screamed as they all flew towards him.

* * *

A/N:

Starting now, we're going to leave authors notes from all the people working on the project!

Air-Head: Thank you so much for reading! We're having a lot of fun with this project, but we would really like to know what you all think so far? Is the rating fine? So, please Review! It would mean a lot to all of us if you do!

Manganimefandom: Hey! This was the first chapter in a long time I had to write with an action scene in it... its been a long time. Hope it was ok?

Rygel-n: Sorry for the lack-of-art in this chapter ( Ao3 Version ), I was in the hospital and missed the 'deadline' lol... totally not because I was lazy, though being lazy is also the case XD

Bellona-Dancer and Meangreenrpinmachine will appear to say their two bits when their characters appear.


	4. Episode 4: Trouble At Mt Silver

Last time on Pokemon - Kanto Quest:

After leaving Ms. Ketchum's house, Azure and Pichu head towards the Pokemon Lab, only to be interrupted by a kid named Ken, and his gang of bullies. Even after being rescued by Cyan, the bullies returned and stole Ms. Ketchum's son's hat, pressuring Azure out of the safety of Pallet Town, and onto Route 1, where they attacked him!

What will happen to Azure and Pichu? Can Azure make it through the assult and make it back to Pallet Town in time to get his Starter Pokemon? Or is his Pokemon Journey over, before its even begun?

* * *

**.  
**

**EPISODE 4**  
**Trouble At Mt. Silver**

**.  
**

The wind blew gently over the plains, rustling the grass gently on both sides. It was a beautiful morning - the perfect morning to start one's journey.

An older, bright orange Arcanine trodded down the path like it knew it off by heart. Its bright eyes scanned the sides of the path with clear boredom. There was nothing but a few Pidgeys, a handful of Spearow, and a couple of Rattata around - nothing that could compete with him. He sighed and stopped walking, turning around to look behind him.

A girl walked behind him, a bright smile plastered on her face, and her large grey eyes scanning the path with glee. The Arcanine stopped walking when he noticed that instead of watching where she was going, she was busy surveying the path. He sat down and growled, "Arf!"

The girl laughed, one of her long red-brown pigtails falling over her shoulder, the top of her head covered in a large pink and white paper-boy styled hat, the lower right hand corner embroided with a four-point star. She folded her hands behind her back with a smile, "I'm coming Arcanine! Don't worry!"

Arcanine nodded, but waited there until she caught up. She laughed and skipped ahead of him, her long shirt - almost long enough to double as a mini-dress - twirled around her thighs as she skipped. Her outfit also resembled that of a pink paper-boy, a long white shirt, covered by a light pink half-jacket - with only the top button done up - over black skinny-shorts, knee-high socks, and pink and white high-top runners. She wanted to make sure she wore something easy to move in, and yet still fun to wear, on the most important day of her life! She was so excited!

"I can't believe I go get my Starter Pokemon today!" She cheered, thrusting a fist into the air, "Who should I choose Arcanine?"  
Arcanine shrugged and stood up, following after her slowly.

The girl tapped her cheek, "Should I choose Charmander? Daddy chose Squirtle when he started his Pokemon Journey? Or, maybe I'll choose Bulbasaur? That means when I get to Daddy's Gym, I'll have a better chance of beating him? Oh! And you're a fire-type though, so maybe I should choose Squirtle? So I'll have a better chance at beating you too."  
"Arf." Arcanine chuckled,  
"Yeah, your right!" The girl smiled, wrapping her arms around the large dog's neck, and pulling him into a big hug, "I could never beat you! I have no intention of entering the Pokemon League! I want to learn everything I can from my journey, so I can become the best Breeder the world has ever seen!"

The girl released him and stepped back, "Come on! We don't want to be late!" She turned around and broke into a run, charging out of the clearing, and into the tall grass.  
"Arrrooo!" Acranine warned.

His Trainer had leant him to her to protect her on her journey from Viridian City, to Pallet Town… he would be letting his Trainer down if anything happened to her… not that he was worried. There was nothing between Pallet Town and Viridian City that was a threat to him. He sighed and slowly trotted after her.

The girl laughed as she ran through the tall grass. It tickled her knees as she went, and she lowered her arms to run her fingers through it. She looked up at the sky - there was barely a cloud in it! What a gorgeous day!

She felt her foot catch on something while she was looking up, and she gasped when she realized she was falling. She let out a small scream as she tripped over something laying in the tall grass, and tumbled into the dirt.

"Arc!" Arcanine howled, running over to her.  
She was kneeling on the ground, rubbing her back. "Ow…" Arcanine whined and licked her cheek, she laughed and playfully pushed him back, "What did I trip over?"

She slowly stood up, and dusted the dirt off of her, before turning around and pushing the tall grass out of the way…

"AAAAHHHH!" She screamed falling back into the dirt again, "I-it's a body!"

Arcanine rolled his eyes and went over to take a look. The girl nervously got up and looked over again. A boy was laying in the tall grass, covered in wounds. He was laying face down, his shirt as torn as his skin… he was bleeding still bleeding…

Arcanine sniffed the boy, and he twitched slightly. The giant dog looked away from him, and back to the girl.

"H-he's alive?" She gasped, "Acranine! We have to get him to a doctor! What is he doing here? What happened?"

Arcanine lowered himself down, and let out a soft whine. She seemed to understand what he meant and nodded. She gently reached over and pulled the boy up. His head rolled back, revealing his face. She blushed slightly when she saw him. He was young, probably around her age, and with a tan skin tone. His eyes were closed, and his hair hung over his face slightly, but he was still slightly cute. She couldn't help but wonder who he was?

Arcanine growled behind her, warning her that they had to get moving. She nodded and pulled the boy onto Arcanine's back, before climbing up herself. The giant dog turned around and started bolting back the way it had come. She held onto him the best she could as Arcanine moved underneath them, gripping onto his thick fur with all her strength.

… … …

The first thing Azure heard was the sound of the wind whipping past his ears. He gasped and opened his eyes - at fist, everything was blurry, and he could not make anything out… but after a few seconds, he could see the ground moving underneath him, and feel the muscles of some powerful creature move under him. He tried to lean up, but found someone was holding him…

"Your awake?" An unfamiliar voice asked.  
Azure gasped and pushed himself up as hard as he could, wrenching himself out of her grasp, letting out a small scream as he fell backwards off the creature, and into the dirt on the road.  
"Are you crazy?" The girl gasped, "Arcanine! Stop!"

Azure groaned as he sat on the ground, his entire body ached and his head was spinning. "Where am I?" He looked up to see a giant Arcanine grind to a halt, and turn around to walk back to him, a girl sliding off its side, and running over to him.

"Are you ok? What happened to you?" She gasped.  
"I'm ok…" Azure lied, rubbing the back of his head, "How about you, Pichu?" His eyes widened when he did not see his little electric mouse.

Azure jumped to his feet, "Pichu? Pichu where are you?"  
"Pichu?" The girl asked, "We found you laying in the dirt alone…"

She looked at him for a few seconds, before the realization settled in, "Oh my gosh! You had a Pokemon with you?"  
Azure nodded and he climbed to his feet, "My Pichu was with me… where is she?" He cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled, "PICHU! PICHU WHERE ARE YOU?"  
"I'm so sorry! We should have checked to see if there was a Pokemon nearby!" She gasped, she looked around, "Let me help you find it?"  
Azure nodded, "Thank you!"  
"We found you this way!" The girl explained, pointing in the opposite direction they had come from.  
Azure nodded again and took a step in the direction she was pointing, wincing as the pain shot up his leg with each step.  
"Oh no! We should get you to the hospital first!" She gasped,  
"No! Not without Pichu!" Azure shook his head, "We have to find her!"  
"R-Right!" She nodded.

Azure took a deep breath, before breaking in a run down the path, screaming Pichu's name as he ran, the girl ran behind him, also calling for Pichu.

Time ticked by at an alarming pace, and the higher the sun got in the sky, the more Azure worried about it. Registration time was at 8'oclock sharp… and there was only 3 Starter Pokemon…

He looked down at his Poke-Gear, it read 7:02... Less then an hour until he had to be at the Pokemon Lab…

"PICHU!" He called.

"Pi-cha!"

Azure stopped running and whirled around, smiling, "Pichu!" His smile faded quickly faded though, as instead of his Pichu, he saw a Pikachu standing in the path behind him.

"Where did?" The girl asked.

Azure blinked. They had just ran down that way, and he did not see a Pikachu anywhere while they were running. Where the heck did it come from? The Pikachu was an older one, and its bright brown eyes were staring up at them blankly. Azure felt a strange aura coming from it, and it almost seemed to glow in the morning sun… it reminded him of a Ghost. It was holding something in its mouth…

"Pi-cha." It repeated around the hat.

Azure's eyes widened when he saw what it was holding… it was holding the hat!

"My hat!" Azure gasped, he took a step towards it, "Excuse me, but that hat belongs to me… can I have it back?" The Pikachu looked at him blankly, and blinked its eyes, before turning around and running down the path. Azure growled and took off running after it, "Hey! Wait!"  
The girl gasped, "Wait up!" She took off running after him.

"Arcanine! Stop that Pikachu!" She ordered. Arcanine barked, and speed up, pouncing up into the air, and over the two kid's heads, before touching down on the ground in front of the Pikachu.

Arcanine growled, and lowered its front two legs, bracing himself to attack the Pikachu. He looked into the little electric mouse's eyes - and flinched back. The little guy showed no fear of the giant beast in front of him, and instead kept running full speed towards him. A blue aura seemed to engulf the Pikachu as it ran, the hat still held firmly in its mouth as it ran on all fours.

"Watch out, Arcanine!" The girl gasped, but it was too late, Pikachu seemed to suddenly disappear, leaving no trace that it had ever been there.

Azure stopped dead in his tracks so suddenly he nearly tripped over himself, the girl stopping nearly as suddenly as he did behind him. The dirt road in front of them snaked forward, and the meadows on either side of the road were empty… it was suddenly shockingly quiet - the only sound Azure could hear, was the sound of the girl and his heavy panting, and the confused growls of Arcanine.

"Pi-Pika!"

Azure looked past the Arcanine, and down the path, where he heard the noise. The Pikachu was standing behind Arcanine calmly. It blinked its blank eyes, the hat now resting in its front paws, and its ears pulled back.

"How did it get past Arcanine?" The girl gasped.

Azure did not stop to wonder, he growled and broke into a run, pushing past Arcanine and down the path. The Pikachu stuck the hat back in its mouth and dropped back down on all fours. Azure was only a few feet away from it, when it turned and bolted down the path.

"Stop thief!" Azure yelled after it, pushing himself as fast as he could.

The Pikachu turned and started running off the path, and into a clearing, towards the grove of trees. Several Pidgey took up into the air as fast as they could in a flurry of feathers as it cut through them. Azure did not pause to think about where the Pikachu was taking him, and followed.

"Wait kid!" The girl gasped, "Where are you going? That way doesn't lead anywhere!"  
"I have to get my hat back!" Azure called back to her without turning around.  
The girl groaned and followed behind, "Wait! You'll get lost that way! Argh! Wait for me!"

The trees around them became dense, and the meadows were replaced by tall grass. He barely noticed as he ran, focusing all his attention on keeping the Pikachu in his sight. The Pikachu suddenly changed directions, running swiftly to the right.

"Hey kid!"

Azure quickly shot a glance over his shoulder, the girl who had rescued him back there was still following him. She was riding on the back of the Arcanine, the powerful beast easily caught up to him in only a few strides. She held her hand out to him, "Hop on!" Azure nodded and grabbed her hand, and he leapt off the ground, pulling himself onto Arcanine's back. She cast him a quick glance to make sure he was on before smiling, "Hold on tight!" Azure nodded and wrapped his arms around her middle. She gripped Arcanine's collar tighter and shouted, "Full speed ahead Arcanine!"  
"Arooo!" Arcanine howled, before quickly gaining speed.

Azure gasped - he was not expecting the sudden speed. He fought to keep his eyes open as the wind blasted into his face, and the branches of the nearby trees whipped his already cut and bruised skin.

"What's that?" The girl gasped.

Azure looked up, poking over the trees was a giant mountain, shining almost silver in the sunlight, the top lost in the clouds. The Pikachu seemed to be running towards it. In front of it was a wide path, and it stopped at the edge. The Pikachu poked its head out, and sniffed as it looked both ways, before charging across the path and into the forest on the other side.

The Giant Arcanine burst into the path and stopped, it looked around in confusion.

"Where are we?" Azure whispered,  
"We're near Viridian City… notice all the evergreens?" Cerise pointed out, "I think… we're on Route 22!"  
"Route 22?" Azure asked,  
The girl paled, "We've got to turn around!" She pulled on Arcanine's collar, "This place is dangerous! Dad said only experienced trainers heading for the Indigo Plateau come here, and the Pokemon are really tough!"

"Pi-Pika!"

Azure looked up, that Pikachu was waiting for them on the other side of the road, looking nervously up and down the path. Where was it taking them? It was obvious, it was trying to lead them somewhere. He looked down the path, one way snaked through the evergreens, and the other way lead to a wide building. Azure immediately recognized the building as the one from the books… it was the Pokemon League Reception Gate…

"Route 22..." Azure repeated. Without a second thought, he slid off the back of the Arcanine, landing with a soft thud into the dirt, and started running towards the Pikachu. The Pikachu nodded, turned, and started running through the trees again.  
"Hey kid!" The girl gasped, "Its too dangerous to go that way! Especially without a Pokemon!"

Azure was not listening. The forest on the other side of the path was thicker, and more difficult to navigate, the undergrowth here was more dense then the other side of the path, and the branches lower. He doubt that girl's Arcanine would fit in such a cramped space…

A rock wall appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and Azure nearly ran into it before he even noticed it was there. Azure placed his hands on the dense stone and looked up. He was at the bottom of a steep cliff. Mt. Silver could be seen peeking up from above it. Was the Pikachu trying to lead him there?

"Pi-Pika!"

Azure spun towards the sound, further down the cliff, where it stood next to the rock wall, waiting impatiently.

"Hey kid!"

Azure felt a hand fall on his shoulder, but did not flinch. He could already recognize the panting of the girl he just met next to him.

"Let's go… we still have to find your Pichu…" She begged, "If we're caught here, we'll be in big trouble. This place is only for League competitors…"

Azure did not reply, but he did grind his teeth. She was right about one thing, he had to find Pichu… she was too little to be out by herself, but he could not leave just yet. He promised Ms. Ketchum that he would find her son, and return his hat to him! How could he return his hat, if some Pikachu stole it? He started towards it, but this time, the Pikachu seemed to vanish into thin air.

"W-Where did it go?" The girl gasped. Azure ran forward to where it was once standing, "Pikachu! Get back here with my hat!"  
"Hey kid! Look!" The girl pointed towards the side of the cliff.

Azure followed her gesture and smiled when he saw what she was pointing at. The Pikachu hadn't disappeared, it had slipped through a large crack in the wall.

"That looks dangerous…" The girl whispered.  
"I don't care how dangerous it is." Azure replied, "I'm getting that Pikachu!"  
The girl sighed and nervously clenched the front of her shirt, "I was afraid of that…"

Azure nodded and crouched down onto his hands and knees. The crack was large enough to let a Pikachu slip in without any problems, but it looked a little tight for humans. He inhaled deeply, and started through it.

Almost immediately after entering though, he felt the ground disappear from underneath him, and he felt himself fall. He screamed as he was suddenly tumbling down a long shaft in the side of the mountain, before landing hard on the stone ground. A few seconds later, he heard another scream join him, and a sudden weight dropped down on his back, he gasped and looked up to see that the girl had landed on him.

"Well… that wasn't as bad as I feared." She groaned, rubbing her back, "Hey kid? Where did you go?"  
"I'd like to tell you, but would you mind getting off of me first?" Azure snapped.  
The girl blushed and jumped up, "I-I'm so sorry!"  
"And my name is not 'kid', its Azure." Azure replied, brushing the dirt off himself,  
The girl nodded and held out her hand, "I'm Cerise."  
Azure smiled and shook her hand, "Thank you, Cerise."  
"No problem." She giggled.  
"But… why did you follow me? You didn't have to?" Azure asked,  
"Because stupid!" She replied, "You don't have a single Pokemon with you, do you?"  
Azure jumped back, "Well… I…" He rubbed the back of his head and sighed, "No…"  
"And you just foolishly ran into a cave without even thinking about your own safety!" Cerise lectured, "What if there are wild Pokemon down here? I'd never forgive myself if I let you run off the woods without a Pokemon!"  
"Yeah… good point." Azure muttered, he folded his arms in front of his chest and looked up the shaft they just fell down, "Guess we're not getting back the way we came in?"  
Cerise followed his gaze and sighed, "Guess not…"

"Pi-Pika!"

Azure turned and looked down the tunnel they had landed in. The tunnel was big enough for an adult to stand easily in, so Azure and Cerise no longer had to crawl, and it looked like someone - or something - had dug this tunnel.

"You think its trying to lead us somewhere?" Cerise asked,  
Azure nodded, "Yeah, I thought so too."  
"You think its wild or trained?" Cerise continued.  
Azure shook his head, "No clue."

"Pikachu!" It said, dropping the hat into its front paws.  
"Please Pikachu… can I have my hat back?" Azure asked as he stepped towards it.  
This time, the Pikachu did not run, but pointed back behind it, "Chu! Pika pikachu…Pika-pi!"  
Azure nodded, "You only stole my hat to make sure we followed you, right?"  
The Pikachu nodded, "Pi!"  
Azure crouched down, and reached out and held his hand out in front of it, "Ok. You lead the way Pikachu. I promise we'll follow you."

The Pikachu's eyes widened and it smiled brightly, before sticking the hat back in its mouth, and pouncing into the air towards Azure. Azure laughed as the little mouse collided with him, knocking him back off his heels and into the dirt. The Pikachu nuzzled his face, before reaching up, and placing the hat on Azure's head. Azure smiled and straightened up, carrying the Pikachu in his arms. The Pikachu crawled up onto his shoulder, placing its paws on the top of Azure's hat.

"Straight ahead?" Azure asked,  
"Pi!" It nodded.  
Cerise stood there for a second, her head tilted in wonder, before following behind them, "It sure seems friendly… I don't think its wild anymore." She stopped walking and looked up at Azure, "Az…I'm worried."  
Azure paused and turned around, "Huh? How come?"  
"That Pikachu seemed desperate to lead us here… what if something terrible happened to its trainer?" She looked up at the roof of the tunnel, "If we keep heading in this direction, we'll be right underneath the reception gate…"  
Azure looked over at the Pikachu, "I hope not… is something wrong with your Trainer?"  
"Piiii…" The Pikachu whined.  
Azure nodded, "Then we don't have time to waste!"

He broke into a run down the tunnel, "Come on Cerise!"  
"Right!" She nodded before chasing after him.

The two ran for a while, their feet pounding on the uneven ground underneath them, and the Pikachu clinging to Azure's head with a sad expression.

"Don't worry Pikachu!" Azure promised, "Just lead the way, whatever it is that's bothering you, we'll help! I promise!"  
"Pikachu!" It cheered.

Azure looked ahead, the tunnel looked like it went on forever… and he was really worried about Pichu, and they were running out of time to get back to Pallet Town… but if there was a Trainer down here who was hurt and needed help, he had to help.

Even if it meant being late!

* * *

A/N's:

Rygel-n: This chapter was pretty fun! Azure is the first character I ever created where I am trying to get the 'childish' and 'brash' nature across... I hope I am doing a good job?

Manganimefandom: Finally! My character is introduced! Up until now, I was controlling basically everything except Azure. I controlled Misty, Delia, Ken, and Cyan, but its nice that my character is finally in it!

Air-Head: How's the formatting on this? Do you guys like it, or would you prefer normal, FF formatting?


	5. Episode 5: The Hidden Base

Last time on Pokemon - Kanto Dreams:

After being knocked out by Ken and his gang, Azure was left unconscious on Route 1, where he ran into Cerise, a young girl also on her way to get her Starter Pokemon. With the help of a large Arcanine she borrowed from her Dad, Cerise tried to take Azure to help, but instead, the two of them ran into a strange Pikachu, who stole Azure's hat, and lead them towards Mt. Silver. The Pikachu lead them into a tunnel that stretched right underneath the Indigo League Reception Gate, and on towards Mt. Silver, where it returned Azure's hat after Azure promised he would still follow it, and joined them.

Did something terrible happen to Pikachu's trainer? What can Azure and Cerise do to help? Will Azure and Cerise make it back to Pallet Town in time to get one of the three Starter Pokemon? What will happen to Pichu?

* * *

**.**

**EPISODE 5**

**The Hidden Base  
**

**.**

A figure walked down Route 1, cloaked entirely within a dirty, brown cloak. The cloak was ragged at the bottom, its edges frayed from use. The person wearing the cloak had it pulled around him completely, even in the summer heat, so nothing but his shoes stuck out from it. A large hood was pulled so far over his head, only his chin was visible. A Pikachu was riding on his shoulder, under the cloak, his head peeking out the man's shoulder, and his tail sticking out across the other. The Pokemon looked sadly around, his brown eyes scanning the field.

The wind picked up, and a strange scent caught in the Pikachu's nose. He straightened up, fully poking his head out from under his protective cover.

"Pi?" He whispered. His ears straightened up, and he pounced down from his Master's shoulder and into the dirt of the path, "Pika-Pi!"

The cloaked man looked down at the Pikachu, but did not say anything. The Pikachu pointed off down the path, "Pikachu!"

He turned and started running down the path, and then veered off to the right, right into the tall grass. His Master slowly followed after it, clearly not in any hurry.

The Pikachu bolted through the grass, and then came to a sudden halt. In front of him was a small clearing, and a group of figures stood there laughing at something. Pikachu's ears twitched… he could smell blood. He looked past the laughing kids, and his eyes widened at what he saw.

A few Spearow, and a Rattata were charging towards a kid, but the kid did not even seem to pay any attention to them. Instead of running away from them, he was running towards them! In front of him, a little Pichu was running towards him, her fur singed and dirty. She looked weak…

The kid jumped towards her, scooping her up, and crouching over her, protecting her completely from the attacking Pokemon. Pikachu gasped as he saw the Spearow fly down and tackle the kid, followed by the Rattata. The kid screamed as their sharp beaks cut his skin, but he did not move, he stayed where he was, crouching protectively over the Pichu…

Pikachu frowned as memories coursed through him… Route 1 was no stranger to him. He had been here before… memories of being carried down this path, nestled in his best-friend's arms as he tried to save him from the attacking Pokemon…

Pikachu's ears flattened back against the back of its head as it watched the Spearow and the Rattata attack the kid. One of the Spearow flew up, and cried, before charging back down and slamming into the kid. The boy screamed as the attack flung him back. He skidded through the tall grass before coming to a halt, the Pichu still safe in his arms.

Pikachu could feel his body shake. His best friend had done something like that for him several times before - sacrifice himself to save him… The memories were so clear, he could almost see his friend standing protectively in front of him as the enemy attacked…

"Pichu!"

The small voice of the Pichu snapped Pikachu out of his thoughts. He looked over and saw the little baby Pokemon squirm out of its Trainer's arms, she shook her master's shoulder, tears forming in her large, blue eyes.

"Pi-cha!" She cried, moving up and shaking his head weakly. When he did not move, Pikachu could see the panic form in her eyes. She shook him as hard as she could, but he still did not move.

"Pi-cha!" She repeated, tears spilling from her eyes and down her cheeks, "Pichu!"

Pikachu took a step into the clearing. He could not bare to watch this anymore! He was about to run out, when the Pichu suddenly turned around and ran towards the Spearow angrily.

"Pichu!" She screamed, her cheeks sparking.

"Awe!" One of the Trainers who owned one of the attacking Spearow laughed, "Does the lil' baby still have some fight left?" He pointed at the Pichu, "Finish it!"

The Spearow and Rattata turned away from the boy, and headed straight for the Pichu. Pichu straightened back onto her hind legs and clenched her tiny fists, squeezing her eyes shut as she focused her energy on an attack. Her entire body lit up with electricity, as she used Thundershock. The electric attack coursed through the air and engulfed the attacking Pokemon, but it did not seem powerful enough to stop them. One of the Spearow easily cut through the attack and swooped down, tackling the Pichu.

Pichu screamed as the attack sent her flying back. She landed face-first into the dirt with a cry.

"Pi..chu." She cried, trying to force herself back up onto her feet. Those other kids just laughed at her efforts…

"Again! Attack!" One of them said.

Pikachu growled and charged out into the meadow, bolting past the Trainers and their Pokemon, and stopping between them, and the injured Pichu.

"What?" The 'Leader' gasped, "What the heck is this? Get out of here you stupid Pikachu!"

"Pi! Pikachu!" He hissed. He looked back at the Pichu to see if she was ok.

Pichu was still trying to get up on all fours, her arms shook violently with the effort, and she was looking at Pikachu, her eyes filled with fear. Pikachu nodded at her, and turned back around at the 'enemy'.

His cheeks sparked and he stood protectively in front of her, his arms stretched out.

"Pika…" He said, charging up his attack. He let loose a powerful Thunder attack, launching his electricity souring through the air, easily engulfing all the Spearow, the Rattata, and the Trainers. Everyone engulfed in the attack screamed as the electricity coursed through them. "CHUUUUUUUUU!"

Pichu climbed to her feet, looking at him with wonder. Pikachu finished his attack, and the Pokemon all fell down in a charcoaled heap, followed by their Trainers.

"Run!" One of them shouted, jumping back to his feet and recalling his Pokemon. The rest of them followed suit, before taking off running as fast as they could towards Pallet Town.

"Pika!" Pikachu warned.

"Pichu…" Pichu said weakly, falling back to the ground.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu gasped, turning around and pulling the little Pokemon into his arms.

"Pichu pi…" She thanked weakly.

Pikachu nodded and looked up as he saw his Master slowly walk into the clearing. He waved at his Master, though as expected, his Master made no response. Pikachu frowned and looked away from his Master.

Pichu pulled herself out of Pikachu's arms and started to crawl towards her Trainer. She stopped at the edge of the clearing, and picked something up, before heading into the grass after her Trainer. Pikachu followed her over. The little electric mouse stopped next to her Trainer's face and went back to trying to wake him up. She shook his head with her little paws, before collapsing next to him.

"Pi…" She cried.

"Pika…" Pikachu said sadly. He walked over to her and patted her on the shoulder, trying to tell her its alright, and that he will be ok.

Pikachu felt his Master's presence behind him, and turned around as his Master bent down, and scooped up Pichu, before wordlessly turning, and starting through the grass and back to the path. She tried to fight back, but could not muster the energy. She cried softly, before fainting in his arms. Pikachu turned away from his Master, and looked at the kid laying in the grass sadly. He was about to turn back and follow his Master, when he stopped to look at whatever Pichu had dragged back to her Trainer…

His eyes widened, "Pi!" He gasped. He reached down and picked up an old hat from the dirt. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked at the hat, and he had to take his eyes away from it. He looked back at the kid, and then back to the hat… how did?

"Come on! We don't want to be late!"

Pikachu heard a stranger's voice coming closer towards him. He quickly stuck the hat in his mouth, and jumped into the tall grass, he watched quietly, as he saw a girl appear and trip over the boy, and then watched as she scooped the boy up, and placed him on the back of an Arcanine, before taking off back the way they had come.

Pikachu watched them until they disappeared down the path, before looking back at the hat. All he could see was how much the two of them loved each other, and how the kid had sacrificed himself to protect his Pichu, and how Pichu was trying so desperately to wake him up…

He could remember a time when his had a relationship like that with someone he loved too… a relationship he thought that would never change…

He looked over at the spot where the kid had been laying, and pictured his old Best Friend laying there instead… he could almost see a younger version of himself trying to wake him up, the same way Pichu had been trying to wake up the kid… No, there was no way he was going to let this happen… knowing his Master, his Master just took that Pichu, and if things went like they usually did, that meant that kid would never see his Pichu again… remembering how much he used to love his Best Friend… there was no way he was going to let Pichu or the kid face the same pain he felt.

He felt like a traitor, but his mind was made up. Maybe the kid could help him? He quickly took off running after them.

… … …

Pichu opened her eyes. She was laying on a hard surface… where was she? She sat up and looked around. She was definitely not outside anymore…

She was sitting on a hard bed, covered only by a thin blanket, and was in what looked like a small cell. It was bit enough for her to walk around in, and had an exercise wheel, an automatic feeder, and a water dispenser. The back wall of the cell were made of stone, crudely chopped out of the stone, and the other three walls were made of a thick transparent material. She walked up and tapped it. There was a cell right across from her, and she could see her reflection in it. There was a plaque secured to the top of the transparent wall holding her in. Her ears flattened back when she read it:

PICHU

DEX NO: 172

"PICHU!" She shouted, shocking the wall. She felt the electricity course through her as well, and she gasped as it sent her falling back. She was still feeling weak from the fight before…

"Cleffa…"

"Pi?" Pichu asked, turning her head and looking to the left of her. A baby Cleffa sat in the cell next to her. The Cleffa pressed its hands against the glass with a sad, defeated expression. She started towards it, the realization of where she was settling in…

Next to her was Cleffa, National Pokedex Entry 173... On the other side was Lantern… entry 171...

She was in what looked like a Pokemon Zoo… each cell customized for the Pokemon inside…

… … …

Azure ran down the tunnel, clenching his teeth as he went, Pikachu clinging to his head, and Cerise following close behind. The tunnel seemed to snake on and on with no end in sight… Azure could feel his legs burning as he ran, but knew he could not stop - some trainer could be in trouble down here!

The path in front of them split into two ways, one tunnelling up, and the other heading down.

"Pi!" Pikachu pointed at the one going down. Azure nodded and followed Pikachu's gesture.

"Azure! Look out!"

Azure stopped as fast as he could, nearly throwing Pikachu off his shoulder. Panting heavily, he turned around, Cerise was nearly doubled over, supporting herself up with her hands on her knees, and panting just as hard.

"What's up?" He asked,

"Look! Over there!" Cerise panted.

Azure looked over in front of him. The tunnel had changed without him noticing. One wall of the tunnel steeped sharply to the right, widening at the top, and cutting them down to just a small trail at the bottom…

"This isn't a tunnel…" Azure whispered, looking up at the rubble,

"If the stories Dad told me are true," Cerise whispered, "Mt. Silver used to be a popular training ground for Pokemon Masters… you had to have at least 16 badges from both the Kanto and Johto Regions in order to enter… but ten years ago, there was a terrible cave in, that collapsed many of the tunnels and caverns inside the mountain, and made it impossible to travel in… less then a week later, another huge cave in took the lives of a few trainers, and the Elite Four declared it was too dangerous to enter, and the Mountain was closed off."

"You think we're inside Mt. Silver?" Azure asked,

"Look at the angle of that wall…" Cerise replied.

Azure looked around the tunnel, "I think… this used to be a cavern, but it caved in."

"You think so?" Cerise asked,

Azure turned to look at Pikachu, "What do you think?"

"Pika…" Pikachu nodded sadly.

Azure turned away from the rubble and continued down the tunnel.

"Chu!" Pikachu ordered, jumping down from Azure's shoulder, and running off towards the wall.

"Pikachu?" Azure asked, turning to follow it.

Pikachu lead them to the rubble, and started to dig.

"Do you think its Trainer was caught in a cave in?" Cerise asked.

Azure ran forward and started helping the Pikachu dig. Cerise sighed and walked over to help. With the three of them, they managed to clean the dirt away quickly, and within a few minutes, they found a large stone.

"Pi-Pika!" It said, pointing at the rock… it looked like it could be moved…

"Does anyone have a Pokemon that knows Strength?" Azure asked,

"Strength?" Cerise asked,

"It's a fighting type move that allows a Pokemon to move large boulders." Azure stated,

Cerise blinked, "Wow! How do you know that?"

Azure grinned, "I've been studying Pokemon since I was a young age!"

"That's so cool!" Cerise gasped, "But… no, I only have my Dad's Arcanine…"

Pikachu grabbed the edge of the boulder and started to pull at it.

"Hey!" Azure said, "Don't hurt yourself Pikachu!"

"Let's help it!" Cerise smiled, grabbing onto the edge of the boulder.

Azure nodded and joined in.

The heavy boulder groaned, and then started to slide.

"Its moving!" Cerise gasped.

"Just keep pulling!" Azure said through clenched teeth,

"Piiiiikkaaaaa!" Pikachu agreed.

The rock shook and came loose. Azure, Cerise, and Pikachu jumped out of the way as it fell over in a cloud of dust and rubble. Coughing, Azure tried to peer through the dust. Loose rocks tumbled against his shoes, but he ignored them as light poured out from behind the boulder…

"That's not a boulder…" Cerise whispered,

"It's a door." Azure finished, "Come on!"

Cerise nodded, "Right!"

After a few seconds, Azure's eyes adjusted to the light enough to see a tunnel hidden behind the boulder…

"A hidden passage." Cerise stated.

"You want us to go down there, right Pikachu?" Azure asked,

"Pi!" He nodded.

Azure looked back at Cerise, and she stepped forward and stood next to him, "Lets go."

"I'm right behind you!" She nodded.

Azure smiled and turned back to the tunnel and started through it. He could feel wind on his face, and could smell fresh air. The tunnel started to steep down, and then Azure saw it - sunlight. With a smile of relief, he broke into a run. He felt the warmth of the sun engulf his body as he broke out the other side.

It took a few seconds for his eyes to readjust to the brighter light, but once they did, he was amazed at what he saw. Where he was looked like it had been a cavern at one point, but the roof of the cavern had collapsed in. The walls of the cavern reached up into the air, ending with jagged peak. Azure watched a cloud or two float through the sky above, before looking back down into the makeshift 'valley'. tall grass grew everywhere, leaving only a small, seldom-used path. Wildflowers grew in groves within the grass, their tall stems reaching above the grass, and their multicoloured petals blowing gently in the wind. A few shrubs grew here and there, growing in the light of the sun that could now beam down.

"This must have been the sight of the major cave-in." Cerise whispered, holding onto Azure's arm, "Az… its beautiful!"

"Look!" Azure said, pointing with his free arm out into the pit. Cerise followed his gesture.

There, in the center was a large building. Its tall walls gleamed in the sunlight. There was no windows, only concrete walls. Azure looked at the door, it stood slightly ajar, but it did not look like anyone was home.

Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder and started running towards the building.

"Is this where you were trying to take us?" Azure asked, following after the Pikachu.

"Az!" Cerise gasped, standing stationary, with a worried expression, "We just can't walk into somebody's house… and besides, no one is allowed here… entry to Mt. Silver was banned…"

"If Pikachu's Trainer is in there, and needs help, we have to go help him." Azure stated, "I promised Pikachu I'd follow it, and I never break a promise!"

"Ok… but lets hurry up… its already after 7:30, and if we're much later, not even if Arcanine ran full speed, could we make it to Pallet on time…"

"Don't worry." Azure said, turning away from her and following the Pikachu towards the door, "We'll make it on time!"

The Pikachu did not even hesitate at the door, it just ran right in. Azure stopped and knocked on the door, it swayed under each knock with a loud creaking noise, "Hello? Is anyone home?"

He pushed the door open and walked inside. What he saw, he was completely not expecting. There was a room beyond the door, that looked sort of like an office. The office looked long abandoned, though there was still electricity running to it, because an old computer flicked dully in the background.

Azure stepped through the heavy dust on the ground, there were a few trails of footprints going from the door, to another door straight across from him at the other end of the room, leaving the everything else in the room untouched. A dust covered desk sitting under the computer was littered with papers, the chair behind it had been overturned. A small cot was set up behind the desk, and pressed against the wall, the sheets dirty and unused.

Azure stepped forward and crossed the dirty floor, picking up the chair and standing it up, before reaching down to wipe the grime and dust off the monitor. Pikachu jumped up onto the desk next to him.

"Azure!" Cerise gasped, "You shouldn't touch that…"

"Its an old news article." Azure said, clearly ignoring her, he grabbed the mouse and scrolled up.

Cerise walked behind him, "Your right… its dated ten years ago…"

Azure squinted in the dull light to read the words of the article.

_Pokemon League News_

_Pokemon fans or not, there is not a single person who has not heard something about notorious earthquakes centering around the Mt. Silver vicinity. Routes 28, 22, 23, Victory Road, and the Pokemon League Reception Desk have been completely closed due to the cave ins and rockslides. Thousands of Trainers and Pokefans alike have been evacuated from the area, due to the threat of more landslides. Geographers currently cannot tell what is causing the massive cave ins, though they believe it is caused by something large moving underneath the mountain, possible a giant Pokemon. While several Pokemon Trainers have attempted to make the journey through the dangerous landscape to find this believed 'Giant Pokemon', the routes still remains blocked by giant boulders and debris. Officer Jenny of Viridian City has this to say: _

'_No matter if there is a giant Pokemon there or not, the fact of the matter is that right now, the Mt. Silver region is too dangerous to travel. We are banning anyone - Pokemon Trainer, or otherwise - from entering the area, and we have Police Officers stationed at every entrance. Please, for your own safety, stay away from that mountain!'_

_The Indigo Plateau keeps a record of whoever enters either Mt. Silver, or Victory Road, and keeps track of when they enter or exit, encase a Trainer needs help. So far, four Trainers are missing along the Victory Road path, and one Trainer and his two companions are missing within Mt. Silver. The Indigo League is withholding names until more information is gathered, or next-of-kin is informed._

"That's an old article." Cerise whispered, holding onto the back of the chair Azure was sitting on,

"Yeah." Azure frowned, pushing himself away from the desk.

"Az…" Cerise whispered, looking at the article, "Don't you think its strange that… this computer was open to this article when we just happened to walk in? I mean, its about missing trainers who are believed to have lost their lives in Mt. Silver…"

"Trainers that went missing… ten years ago…" Azure whispered, he turned away from the monitor, "Come on, we don't have time to waste, if we want to get back to Pallet in time…"

"Pikachu." Pikachu said sadly, looking up at Azure.

Azure smiled down at it, and ruffled the fur on the top of its head, "We'll find your Trainer, and if he needs help, we'll save him."

"Pika!" Pikachu smiled.

He walked over to the door and placed his hand on the doorknob. Cerise walked up behind him nervously, wrapping her arms around herself. Azure took a deep breath, and pushed the door open. A bright light momentarily blinded them, a roof light behind the door burst light into the darkened office. Azure and Cerise blinked momentarily in the bright light.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu called, jumping down off the desk and through the door. Azure watched him run through the door, and right down a steep set of stairs just past it. The steps were brightly lit by a few roof-lamps, and there was a second door at the very bottom. Without a second thought, he headed down the stairs after Pikachu.

"Azure!" Cerise called after him silently, "We shouldn't go down there… we could be budging into someone's house!"

"You said so yourself," Azure replied, "Entry to this place is banned. If it really is banned, then whoever is here shouldn't be here too!"

"But still…" Cerise whined,

"Wait up there if your so worried." Azure called back to her, reaching the bottom of the stairs,

"But what if whoever lives here returns?" Cerise said, taking a step down onto the first step,

"Then be sure to greet them for us!" Azure stated, grabbing the doorknob.

Cerise paled and looked behind her. They had left the front door open, and there was nothing but the sun-lit pit outside. She gulped and turned around, running down the stairs to join Azure and Pikachu, "Wait for me!" She clung onto Azure's arm,

"Changed your mind?" Azure asked,

"I'm not waiting up there by myself for some freak to come get me!" She shivered.

Azure laughed and pushed the door open.

"FEAROW!"

Two sets of screams echoed back up the stairs as Azure and Cerise fell backwards screaming, startled by the unexpected noise.

"Sandslash, sand."

"NEEEAAAAH!"

"Wooodeeee!"

"Nido nido!"

The sound of Pokemon cries filled the air, reverberating off the metal stairs, and back up at them. Azure groaned as he felt the stairs against his back, Cerise curled up and clinging to him in surprise. Her face was buried into his side and she was shaking. Azure raised his head and looked forward.

Across from the door was a small Fearow! The Fearow was glaring at the kids, its wings flapping angrily. Azure leaned up, and Cerise scuffled behind him. The Fearow was sitting on a wooden perch, the type you may see in a birdcage. The perch was old and was full of claw marks, bones littered the bottom of the cage beneath it. It called out and flapped its wings up into the air, before soaring towards them.

Azure gasped and flinched back, squeezing his eyes shut, and shielding his face with his arms, and Cerise screamed again, cowering behind him, as if he was a shield.

"FEAROW!" It screamed as it raced towards them…

* * *

A.N's:

Manganimefandom: Phew! This chapter was really fun to RP :) Took a little editing, and lots of communication between RPers to pull off, but it was really fun.

Rygel-N: I have decided there will be a new 'Title Page' every 5 chapters, so lets say every five chapters there will be a new 'Volume' lol, each volume will feature a different character. First was Azure, next will be a different character.

Air-Head: That's it for uploads tonight. I have to get to work, and we're all still working on chapter 6! Please tell me what you think :)


	6. Episode 6: The Pokemon Collector

Last Time:

Unbeknown to Azure, an unknown man has taken Pichu! But his own Pokemon, Pichu's evolutionary form, Pikachu, decided to betray him, and help Azure and Cerise to save her. The two, thinking they are going down into the depths of Mt. Silver to save the Pikachu's Trainer, end up finding a hidden pit, created by the cave-ins, and inside of that pit, a hidden base. Azure and Cerise follow the Pikachu into the base, only to be attacked by a Fearow!

How will our heroes get out of this one?

… … …

**Episode 6**  
**The Pokemon Collector**

CLUNK

Azure heard a strange sound, it sounded like something heavy hitting a wall. He slowly opened his eyes, gasping as he saw the Fearow on the ground. It got up quickly and flew towards them again, slamming into some sort of barrier and falling back again. It screamed in rage and began scratching at the barrier.

"Cerise," Azure replied, reaching behind him to grab her arm, never once taking his eyes off the giant bird, "Cerise I think it can't reach us?"  
"What?" Cerise said softly. She uncurled herself and looked over his shoulder, "How?"

"Pikachu." Pikachu said sadly, exiting the stairs and entering the room past. He walked over to towards the Fearow, and tapped on what must be the barrier.

Azure pulled himself away from Cerise, and went through the door, entering what looked like a long hallway, easily three people wide. He cross the hall and stood next to Pikachu. He raised his hand and tapped the 'barrier' and jumped back, "I-Its glass!"  
"O-only glass?" Cerise asked softly, walking up and hiding behind Azure, peaking over his shoulder at the 'glass' barrier,  
"I dunno." Azure shrugged, "Doesn't look like Fearow can break it?"

Fearow clawed at the glass and cawed angrily, before turning around and circling back and flying a loop around its 'cell', before flying full speed at the glass again. It clanked loudly at the collision, but the 'glass' did not budge.

"It's a cage." Cerise stated, She stepped out beside Azure, and looked into the cell, "Its awfully small for such a large bird…"

"Balba! Bulbasaur!"

Azure turned around and looked at the cell next to the door they just walked in. A Bulbasaur sat on the inside with a peeved look. He was glaring at Pikachu. Pikachu's ears flattened and he looked away from the Bulbasaur sadly.

Azure looked from the Bulbasaur, to Pikachu, and back again, "Friend of yours?"  
"Pika…" Pikachu mumbled.

Azure walked over to the glass and squatted down in front of the Bulbasaur, "Hey there. What are you doing locked up in there?" The Bulbasaur glared at Azure, then turned away in a huff, He turned around and waddled off towards a tree-like prop in the back of the cell and went inside. Azure watched him go, noting that the inside of the cell looked like a fake, Bulbasaur environment…

"Azure… look!" Cerise gasped, pointing down the hall. Azure straightened up and looked, his eyes widening in shock. The hallway snaked down for a long way, cells upon cells of Pokemon reached up to greet them, each looking like a miniature habitat for the Pokemon it contained.  
"It's a…zoo?" Cerise said,  
"It's sick." Azure snapped, "Who could keep all these Pokemon locked up like this?"

Pikachu lowered his head and looked at his feet. He sighed and looked back up at the Bulbasaur Habitat, Bulbasaur was glaring at him from the inside of the fake tree. He walked over to the cell and placed his paws on it, "PikakaPika"  
Bulbasaur turned away, "Bulba."  
"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried. He pointed at Azure and Cerise, "Pi-cha pi Cha-pi Pikachu!"

Bulbasaur growled, and without warning, he turned and charged at the glass, tackling the barrier with all his strength. Pikachu did not move, he just stood there with his ears flattened, and a crushed look across his face.

Azure walked back over to Pikachu and scooped him up, "Whoa…don't know what you said, but looks like you pissed him off there, pal."  
"Pi-cha…" Pikachu whimpered, holding onto the front of Azure's shirt.

From here, in the artificial light, Azure could see that the Pikachu was not a young one. It was older, the Bulbasaur too… he wondered if they knew each other? Pikachu's wrinkled eyes watered up and he leapt from Azure's arms and ran down the hall.

"Wait!" Azure called after it. He turned to Cerise, "Come on!"  
"Right!" She nodded.

The two of them chased after the Pikachu, but it seemed to have disappeared. Azure gritted his teeth and pounded his tired legs harder, running past cell after cell of Pokemon.

"They're all labelled in the National Pokedex Order." Cerise stated from beside him. She looked at the cells as she ran,

Charmander  
Charmellion  
Charzard…

Caterpie…  
Metapod…  
Butterfree…

Ratatta  
Ratticate…

The end of the hallway came up, and there was still no sign of Pikachu.

"Where did he go?" Cerise gasped,  
"There!" Azure pointed. The tunnel turned to the right, snaking around to another hallway.

The two of them ran down it, following a similar hallway full of Pokemon labelled in the National Pokedex order. With his long legs, Azure easily out strode Cerise, and the gap between them started to widen. Cerise tried to keep up the best she could… until something caught her eye.

"Azure! Wait!" She called.

Azure stopped so fast, he nearly doubled over. He turned around, "What is it?"  
"Look!" She said, pointing at Cell Number 25.

Azure back-tracked back to Cell 25 and looked up at the plague. "Dex. 025...Pikachu." He looked down at the glass and gasped, "I-Its open!" And it was, the glass 'wall' was raised up to about his hip-level. The inside of the cell was dusty and looked unused. The fact that the cell was empty was not surprising… the fact that it was open was.

"Pika."

Azure spun around and saw Pikachu standing there again, his ears flattened against the back of his head. Azure walked towards him and bent down in front of him, "That's your cell… isn't it."  
"Pi…" Pikachu whispered,  
"This isn't a rescue mission to save your Trainer is it?" Cerise whispered,  
"Cha…." Pikachu whined.  
"It doesn't matter. There is something here Pikachu is desperate to show us." Azure mumbled, reaching over and scooping up the Pikachu, "And, I believe your Trainer is in trouble. Am I right?"  
Pikachu nodded.  
"He's the one that did this to all these Pokemon… isn't he?" Azure asked,  
Pikachu nodded slowly again.  
"What a monster! Why would we save someone like that?" Cerise gasped.

Azure did not answer, he just straightened up and placed Pikachu on his shoulder, before continuing down the path.

"Azure!" Cerise called after him,  
"We don't know the whole story." Azure replied, "I promised Pikachu I'd help save his Trainer, and I will!"  
"Argh!" Cerise groaned, "Your so stubborn!"  
"Go back if you want then." Azure stated,  
"Maybe I will!" Cerise folded her arms,  
"Have fun with that." Azure shrugged.

Cerise rubbed her arms and looked behind her. Pokemon were crying out behind her, sending a shiver down her spine. She took off running down the hall towards Azure, grabbing onto his arm nervously.

"Thought you were going back?" Azure smirked,  
"As I said before…" Cerise said, looking around nervously, "My conscience won't let me leave you down here without a Pokemon…"  
Azure laughed, "Sure, sure."

They reached the end of the hall, and a stairway greeted them. More Pokemon cries could be heard from down below. Without hesitating, Azure headed down the stairs, literally dragging Cerise after him.

The three reached the bottom of the stairs, and saw the exact same sight they saw above with only different Pokemon. Azure looked around as he saw unfamiliar Pokemon he had never seen before…

"H-how long do you think this goes?" Cerise asked, clinging onto the back of Azure's shirt.  
Azure shrugged, "Beats me… how much further, Pikachu?" He looked around the ground around him, "Pikachu?"

But the old Electric Mouse was gone without a trace. He frowned and sighed, where did the little guy run off to this time?

"What's that?" Cerise asked, looking into one of the cells,

"I've seen a few of these on TV." Azure stated, looking down at a green dinosaur-like Pokemon with a giant leaf on its head, "These are Johto-Region Pokemon… I think."  
"Johto Region?" Cerise muttered, "What are they doing here then?"  
Azure shrugged, "Dunno."

He stepped forward into the hall and looked down it. It was the most disturbing thing he had ever seen… all these poor Pokemon…there HAD to be a way to get them out… but if a Fearow flying at the wall at full speed wasn't enough to break it…

He cupped his hands to his mouth and called as loud as he could down the hall, "HEY! Is somebody out there?"

He could hear his voice echo off the walls, reverberating back to him in a mix of Pokemon cries.

"Az…" Cerise whispered.  
"HEY!" Azure called out again, "If there is a Trainer down here, say something already! We're here to help you!"

"Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-chhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" A familiar cry rang back at them…

… … …

"Boss, there seems to be two strange kids in our facility." A woman said, wearing a strange blue and brown uniform. She typed away on a keyboard as she looked up at nearly hundreds of monitors stacked across the wall, all recording the Pokemon in their cells, the halls, and the area around the pit outside. The monitors circled the large, circular room, only breaking for a small door leading out of the room.

The man in the clock that had picked up Pichu was sitting in a large, high-backed chair behind her. He was leaning back, and hidden in the shadows. He did not reply to the woman, but hovered an arm slightly over his lap, just before a large, old Pikachu - the same one that led Azure and Cerise into the building - jumped up onto his lap. He lowered his arm, placing it on the Pikachu's back.

"Would you like us to take care of them for you?" She asked, turning around to face him.

Instead of replying, the man stood up, picking the Pikachu up as he did so, and turning away. He silently walked towards the door.

The woman nodded, "As you wish, sir."

… … …

"Pi-cha! Piiiiiiii-ccchhhaaaaaa!"

Mixed in with the cries of strange Pokemon, Azure heard a familiar cry. His eyes widened and he stepped forward with a gasp, he yelled down the hall again, "PICHU?"

"PI-CHA!" The call came back.

"Pichu's down here!" Azure gasped. Without hesitating, he broke into a run.

"Azure! Wait!" Cerise called, chasing after him down the hall.

"Pichu!" Azure called, not slowing down a fraction as he ran down the hall, "Pichu where are you?"  
"Pi-cha! Pichu pi!" She called back.

Azure felt something grab his hand, and pull him to a stop. He gasped and turned around, seeing Cerise stare at him with a worried look.

"Let me go!" Azure snapped,  
"Az." She stated, "If your Pichu is really down here, and was just up on Route 1 with you just forty-five minutes ago…that means someone just brought it down here."  
Azure thought her words through, "That means…"  
"Whoever brought Pichu down here, could still be here." She said worriedly.

Azure and Cerise looked around cautiously, glancing up and down the halls. The only noise seemed to be coming from the Pokemon.

Azure said through clenched teeth, "I don't care who brought Pichu down here - I am going to get her back."  
Cerise nodded, "I know…" She released his arm, "What number is Pichu in the National Dex?"  
Azure looked thoughtful for a second, "172."

Cerise looked to the left of them, seeing a Sentrat looking back at her, "We're at 161 right now…"  
"So she's just down the hall." Azure nodded, he turned away from Cerise and started running again, keeping his eyes glued to the numbers at the top of the cells…

164  
165  
166...

"PICHU!" He yelled, pushing himself to keep running… he felt exhausted.  
"Pi-cha!" She replied.

167  
168  
169...

He passed a cell full of water, containing a Lanturn, and finally reached cell number 171.

Pichu was inside, her little paws pressed up against the glass, "Pi-cha!"  
"Pichu!" Azure gasped, squatting down to get a better look at her. She looked like she was in better condition then he was…

He leaned back, looking up and down the hall as Cerise caught up to him. He frowned and jumped to his feet, taking a few steps back, "I'm going to get you out of there."  
"Pichu?" She asked, tilting her head.  
"Stand back Pichu!" Azure ordered, backing up until his back pressed up against the glass on the other side of the hall, before running and shoulder-checking the wall trapping Pichu in her cell.

The glass did not even bend, sending Azure flying back, he stumbled and fell, landing hard on his tailbone.

"Ow…" he muttered.  
"Azure!" Cerise gasped, running over to him and placing her hand on his shoulder, "Are you ok?"  
"No. Not until Pichu is out of there." He snapped, jumping to his feet again, and ramming the wall, once again being bounced back.  
"Pi-cha!" Pichu gasped.  
"Don't worry Pichu!" Azure said as he rubbed his sore shoulder, "We'll get you out."  
"Azure, let's try this." Cerise stated, pulling a Pokeball from her belt. Azure saw it, and stepped back, holding his shoulder as he did so.

Cerise stepped up in front of the wall and threw her Father's Pokeball into the air, calling forth Arcanine. The large dog appeared on the ground in front of them with a howl.

"Arcanine! Try Extreme-Speed!" Cerise ordered.  
"Aroo!" He nodded, lowering his head, before dashing at the wall so fast, neither of the kids even saw him move, by the time any of them saw anything, Arcanine was laying on the ground, having bounced back from the wall the same way Azure had.

"Acranine!" Cerise gasped, running over to him, "Are you ok?"  
Arcanine nodded, climbing to its feet.

"Pichu!" Azure stated, walking up to stand next to Cerise, "Try a tackle attack from that side!"  
"Pichu!" She nodded.

Pichu dropped down on all fours and charged at the wall, slamming into it with all her strength, only to bounce back like Arcanine and Azure did, falling face-first into the ground.

"Flamethrower attack, Arcanine!" Cerise ordered.  
"Arc!" He nodded, stepping forward and launching a powerful flame at the wall.

The flame lit up the hall, and the Pokemon around started screaming, crying out in wonder.

"C-Cleffa!" A small voice said from beside Pichu's cell.

Pichu groaned, climbing back to all fours. She looked over at Cleffa's cell. The little baby Pokemon was looking at Pichu with fear. She looked from Pichu to the Arcanine… those humans were trying so hard to get her out!

"Cleffa!" She cheered, clapping her little hands together, "Cleffa fa-fa!"

The Pokemon around them seemed to suddenly settle down, they all fell silent and watched.

Pichu, knowing fully well that Pichu can't use electric attacks without shocking themselves, stood up anyway, her cheeks glowing, before launching a Thundershock attack at the wall, aiming for right where Acranine's flame was hitting. She cried out as he attack shocked her as well, and the glow around her staggered.

"Cleffa! Cleffa! Cleffa!" Cleffa chanted, clapping her hands together in rhythm, "Cleffa clef!"

The other Pokemon in their cells started chanting as well, pounding their various limbs either together or on whatever surface was nearby, all in sync, in a chanting rhythm.

Pichu gasped and looked over at Cleffa, "Pi?"  
"Cleffa!" She nodded.  
"Pichu!" Pichu smiled.

The glow around Pichu seemed to glow brighter, and she focused all her energy on the wall, ignoring the pain of the electric shock that coursed through her, singing her fur.

"Pichu!" Azure called, "Hang in there! We'll get you out!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, a shock of electricity shot down the hall, colliding viciously with Arcanine. The large dog screamed out in a mix of pain and surprise as it was thrown back. Azure reached over and grabbed Cerise's arm, pulling her from harm just as Arcanine was sent flying backwards by the shock.

"Arcanine!" Cerise gasped as Arcanine skidded to a stop. The large dog had its eyes squeezed shut, but shook his head vigorously, and climbed back to his feet, quickly running over to stand in front the two kids.

"Pi?" Pichu gasped, walking up to the glass and looking through. Azure crouched down beside her, looking down the hall, where the electric attack had come from.

The lights above them flickered and dimmed, and Arcanine let out a low Growl, bracing himself to attack…

A figure appeared in the dimmed light, first completely hidden by shadows. He wore a strange brown travelling cloak, completely covering his body. The old Pikachu that had led them down there was riding on his shoulder with an apologetic look.

Azure gritted his teeth, glaring at the Stranger. Who was this guy? Was he Pikachu's Trainer? Was he the one who locked all these Pokemon down here? Was he the one who locked Pichu up?

While he did not know, he knew one thing. Whether this Stranger tried to stop him or not, he was getting Pichu out! No matter what!


	7. Episode 7: Vs The Collector

There is a new title page released for last chapter. I forgot to mention that D:

It was supposed to be every 4 chapters we would change the title page, but Rygel-n was in the hospital and missed the deadline. Would you prefer us to just change the title every 6 chapters, or change it again at chapter 8? ( two chapters away from now? )

Anyway, for any/all information on our RP, please visit the new Tumblr page Rygel-n just made!

m

You can see close-ups of the title pages, plus any other art we do for the fic. When art is updated for the story on Ao3, he will upload the pictures there as separate files. He doesn't seem to be updating the art from the story to his DA page.

* * *

**.**  
**EPISODE 7**  
**Vs. The Collector**  
**.**

The dim lights in the hall flickered, and the Pokemon locked in their cells scrambled to the various phoney shelters set up to hide in fear. Arcanine lowered his front two legs, preparing to pounce if he needed to.

Azure straightened up, glaring at the figure. He could not see the Stranger's face in the dim light, but he could see the Pikachu that led them there perfectly. It jumped down from the Stranger's shoulders to walk in front of him.

"Pikachu…" Cerise whispered, taking a step back.

Azure growled and stepped forward, "Are you that Pikachu's Trainer?"

The man did not reply, there was no noise coming from him whatsoever. He stood motionless in the darkened hall, so still that if it was not for the Pikachu standing in front of him, Azure probably would not have even noticed he was there.

The Pikachu looked back at its 'Master', apparently waiting for some orders, but the man remained motionless. Pikachu nodded and turned back towards the Arcanine, dropping down to all fours, its cheeks sparking, lighting up the dark hall.

"Let Pichu out!" Azure snapped, "Right now! She doesn't belong to you."

Pikachu looked back at his Master again, and his ears flattened. With a whimper, he turned back to Azure and shot an electric attack at him.

"Azure!" Cerise screamed, "Arcanine! Help him!"

Arcanine charged forward, launching a powerful Flamethrower as he did so. The two attacks collided, sending a shockwave throughout the hall, rattling the glass viciously, and sending Azure, Cerise, and Arcanine flying backwards. The three of them landed hard on the ground. Azure was the first to climb back to his feet with an angry look, Arcanine hesitated, waiting to see if Cerise was alright, before running forward to stand protectively in front of the two kids.

Pikachu started charging towards them, and Arcanine jumped as well, charging into an Extreme-Speed attack. Pikachu did not even hesitate as Arcanine came towards him, and instead ran faster. The Pikachu was like a little yellow blur in the air. And the two jumped at each other, Pikachu easily flipped around and its tail started to glow.

"Arcanine!" Cerise gasped, "Watch out!"

But it was too late. The tail seemed to harden, and the Pikachu spun around, whipping the Arcanine hard across the face. The Arcanine howled as it was thrown back. Azure ducked as the Arcanine soared above his head, colliding painfully with the wall behind him. Pichu gasped, jumping back as the wall shook violently.

The Pikachu did not wait for Arcanine to get up, and instead leapt into the air after him again, his entire body lighting up with electricity as he launched a Thunderbolt Attack.

Arcanine jumped out of the way at the last second. There was not much room to navigate in the small hall, and he accidentally jumped right into the wall on the other side. The Pokemon in the cell screamed out in fear and hid further in its shelter. The Thunderbolt, which was aimed at where Arcanine just was, hit the wall in front of Pichu.

Azure gasped, and shielded his eyes ad the hallway lit up. The attack was powerful enough to crack the glass, sending snake-like cracks shooting up the no-longer unbreakable material. Pikachu landed back on the ground and instantly charged at Arcanine again. Arcanine jumped to his feet and opened his mouth, firing a huge Fire Blast attack at the Pikachu.

Azure looked at the cracks formed on the wall and frowned. That Pikachu was powerful… powerful enough to crack the barrier this way…

Pikachu easily dodged the Fire blast, letting the fire scrape against the walls. He lit up with electricity again, and aimed at Arcanine. Arcanine fired back another Flamethrower, and the two attacks collided, causing another shockwave to blast through the hall. Azure felt the shockwave press him against the wall, and heard the weakened glass shudder underneath him as the shockwave shook it. He looked back at Pichu, standing there with a worried look, and back at Arcanine.

"Hey! Arcanine! I have an idea! Can you get over here for a second?" Azure called.  
Acranine looked over at him, before the two attacks exploded, sending smoke and sparks blasting through the hall. Cerise fell to her knees coughing, shielding her face from the fight in front of her. Now free from Pikachu's attack, he jumped through the smoke and landed beside Azure.

Pikachu looked back at his Master, but the man was still standing exactly where he was before, seemingly unfazed by the fight in front of him. Not seeing any orders from his Master, the Pikachu turned back to where Azure and Arcanine stood, his ears flattening back.

"Pika…." He whimpered. He looked back at his Master again with a pleading look, as if begging his Master to allow him to stop the attack. But his master still made no move, and after all the time he had been travelling with his Master, he sighed and turned back towards Azure and Arcanine, his cheeks sparking before his body lit up with electricity again.

"Wait for it." Azure whispered, bracing himself.

Pikachu launched a powerful Thunderbolt attack at them.

"NOW!" Azure shouted, jumping out of the way. Arcanine pounced the other way, landing protectively in front of Cerise, as the hall lit up once again.

The Thunderbolt hit the wall almost exactly where it had hit it before, and the force of the attack shot straight through it, shattering the glass.

"Pichu!" Pichu cried, running through the hole in the glass and jumping at Azure. Azure laughed, holding his arms open as Pichu flew through the smoke, and collided with him. He fell backwards, hugging her tightly.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Azure smiled, hugging her tightly,  
"Pi-cha!" She whined, snuggling into his chest.

Azure ruffled her fluffy head, and stood back up, carrying her safely in his arms as the smoke cleared. Cerise walked up to stand next to him, Arcanine at her side.

The Stranger stood on the other side, the smoke from the blast waving past his cloak. The Stranger gestured towards them, and Pikachu whined. It was clear he did not want to fight, but seeing his Master gesture towards them was an order. His cheeks sparked again, and he stepped towards them.

Arcanine was panting heavily, his legs shacking where he stood. Cerise looked at him with concern, "Azure… Arcanine can't keep this up much longer! We have to get out of here!"  
Azure growled, holding Pichu tightly, "But what about all the other Pokemon here?"  
"We'll go back to Viridian City and report this to Officer Jenny." Cerise begged, "Please Azure… we can't save them if Arcanine loses."

Azure was about to protest, when he looked over and saw Arcanine. Arcanine looked exhausted… he really could not go on like this for very much longer… on the other side thought, Pikachu looked like he had plenty of fight left in him. His level was much higher then Arcanine's…

"Fine." Azure sighed.

Cerise nodded and ran over to Arcanine, grabbing the fur at his neck, and pulling herself up onto his back. Arcanine whirled around and quickly crouched down beside Azure. Pichu climbed up onto Azure's back, clinging onto his backpack and freeing up his arms as he reached over and grabbed Arcanine's fur, pulling himself up as well.

Arcanine howled, and bolted - running as fast as he could down the hall. Azure looked over his shoulder and saw the Stranger and Pikachu fade off into the background. It did not look like they were giving chase.

"Come on Arcanine!" Cerise pleaded, "Faster!"

The giant Arcanine pushed itself, rounding corners and bounding up stairs as fast as it could. Before Azure knew it, they were bolting from the front door, and out into the fresh air of the pit. Arcanine turned around and pounced up onto the roof of the building, before running over and jumping up onto some rocks, and jumping its way up to the top of the pit, before bounding out and down the side of Mt. Silver.

Azure smiled as he looked over Cerise's shoulder. From here, he could see both Viridian City, and Pallet Town clearly! Viridian City was much closer, he could make out buildings from where they were.

The Arcanine bounded down the hill, heading straight for Viridian City.

"Shouldn't we head to Pallet Town?" Azure asked,  
Cerise shook her head, "It doesn't matter… we'll never make it to Pallet in time…its after eight already."  
"Cerise…" Azure muttered, looking away sadly, "I'm sorry…"  
She lowered her head, her eyes being shielded by her hat, "I-its fine."

She shook her head and looked back at him, "But at least we saved your Pichu! And Officer Jenny will come back and save the rest of the Pokemon!"  
Azure nodded, "Right!"

The Arcanine bounded over the Reception Gate, and down Route 22, speeding closer and closer to Viridian City. The wind was like daggers on their skin, wind-burning their faces and hands raw as they went. Azure pulled Pichu off his shoulder, and put her safely between Cerise and himself. She clung to his shirt, looking up at him with relief.

"I'll never let anything like that happen to you ever again!" He promised, reaching down to stroke the soft fur on top of her head, "I promise."  
"Pi-cha…" She whimpered, nuzzling her face into his shirt.

The Arcanine leapt into the air, jumping over the security guard standing in front of the entrance to Route 22, and into Viridian City. Azure gasped as he watched the buildings blur around them. The Arcanine ran straight up to the Police Station, stopping so suddenly, Azure thought he was going to be flung from the large dog's back.

An older woman with graying blue hair, and wearing a blue Police uniform came running out, "What is going on here? Cerise, what is the big emergency that you have to fly like a rocket here?"

Arcanine was panting heavily as he laid down, letting the kids climb off his back. Cerise turned towards him and pulled the Pokeball from her belt, "Thank you so much Arcanine. Please have a good rest!"

A red light shot from the Pokeball and engulfed Arcanine, before sucking him into the ball. She then turned back to the officer, "Officer Jenny! Please! You have to help us!"  
"Calm down, Cerise." Officer Jenny said, waving her hands, "I can't help you if I don't know what you need help with. Come inside and explain to me what happened."

She nodded, and Officer Jenny turned around and walked back into the Police Station. Cerise followed after her without a word. Azure sighed, holding Pichu safely in his arms. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of Pallet Town. An old clock tower was in the distance… it read 8:13...

He sighed. Well… so much for starting his Pokemon Journey…

"Pi-cha…" Pichu said, raising her paw up to pap his face.  
Azure smiled, "Let's go Pichu."  
"Pi-Pichu!" She nodded.

Azure turned back to the Police station, and followed them in.

… … …

"I see…" Officer Jenny sighed, leaning back in her chair, "And you say there were hundreds of Pokemon trapped there?"  
Cerise nodded. She had just finished explaining to Officer Jenny everything that had happened since she found Azure laying in the grass. "They were all trapped in small cells! It was awful!"  
Officer Jenny sighed and looked out a window, "Sounds like the Pokemon Collector."  
"The Pokemon Collector?" Azure asked,

Officer Jenny nodded. Azure had been getting impatient since Officer Jenny led them into her office, and sat them down on these uncomfortable chairs, and Cerise started to tell her story… though, he was not sure if it was disappointment, or impatience.

It had been over half an hour since they sat down in Officer Jenny's office…

He looked at the clock above her desk… 8:47...

There was no hope in getting a Pokemon anymore…

Pichu had fallen asleep on his lap, tired from all the excitement that had happened that morning. He stroked her fur absentmindedly. He was so upset, he almost wanted to cry. This was supposed to be the best day of his life… he was supposed to get his Starter Pokemon, and start on his Pokemon Journey… but here he was, sitting in a Police Station giving a report.

He had mostly been brooding the entire time, not really listening to Officer Jenny and Cerise's conversation, but when Officer Jenny brought up 'the Pokemon Collector', his attention snapped back to them.

"Ten years ago," She stated, "There was a series of Rockslides and Cave-Ins in Mt. Silver and Victory Road, completely changing the structure of the mountain."  
Cerise nodded, "We heard about that. You closed off Route 22 and onwards because of it."  
She nodded, "Yes. Its too dangerous for anyone - trainers or not - to go there now… so I guess it would make perfect sense for the Collector to make his hideouts there…"  
"Who is 'The Collector'?" Azure asked,  
"I'm getting there." Officer Jenny explained, "As I was saying, around the time of the disasters ten years ago, a mysterious man appeared, along with an strange, unknown Pokemon. He appeared from Mt. Silver the day the disasters stopped, claiming that he caught the 'Legendary Pokemon' that was hiding under Mt. Silver, and that with it, he was going to become the first person ever to collect one of every Pokemon in the world, and any person who wanted a slice of the fame, was welcome to come work for him… he even claimed that he would pay them handsomely."  
"Work for him?" Cerise asked,  
Officer Jenny, "That stranger trainer started calling himself a 'Pokemon Collector', instead of a Trainer, and founded a group known as 'Team Getdaze'."  
"I've heard of Team Getdaze!" Cerise gasped, "They're a team of Pokemon Thieves, right?"  
Officer Jenny nodded, "Yes Cerise! Team Getdaze may have started out as a 'Pokemon Collecting Agency', but their Leader does not care how his 'employees' catch the Pokemon, as long as they bring him one of every kind."  
"Even if they… steal them?" Cerise whispered,  
Officer Jenny nodded, "That's right."  
"And then they get locked in those small cells…" Cerise whispered, "That's so sad…"  
Azure leaned forward in his chair, "This 'Pokemon Collector', did he have a Pikachu with him?"  
Officer Jenny nodded, "That's right. Its one of the few Pokemon that the Collector seems to keep on him at all times."

Azure leaned backing his chair and looked down at Pichu, the little electric mouse looked back up at Azure with a curious look.

Seven Trainers lost their lives at Mt. Silver and Victory Road… most of them after an unknown large Pokemon moving under the mountain… causing the mountain to collapse, killing all but one of them, and that Trainer emerged claiming to have captured the 'Legendary Pokemon' who was causing the disasters, and then founded Team Getdaze, a group of Pokemon Thieves solely intent on collecting one of every Pokemon around the world…

What kind of man is this Collector? He clenched Pichu tighter. He nearly lost Pichu forever to him.

"Pi?" Pichu asked.  
Azure looked up at Officer Jenny again, "Excuse me… they say the longer a Pokemon travels with its Trainer, the longer a Pokemon travels with its Trainer, the more that Pokemon will start taking after its Trainer?"  
Officer Jenny nodded, "That's right."

Azure pushed himself away from the desk and stood up, walking over to the window. Pichu climbed up onto his shoulder as he looked out the thin glass, across Viridian City.

"Then why…"  
"What's the matter, Az?" Cerise asked, looking over at him.  
"Pokemon take after their Trainers… and according to Officer Jenny, that Pikachu that led us to Pichu is with the Collector all the time…" He reached up and scratched Pichu's head. "Pichu!" She nuzzled her face into his hand. Azure smiled and turned around, "Why did Pikachu take us there? Isn't it betraying his Trainer by showing us his secret base, and rescuing one of the Pokemon being kept there?"  
Cerise frowned, "Your right…"  
"That is strange." Officer Jenny muttered, "That Pikachu led you straight to the Collector, and by the way the Collector ordered Pikachu to attack you, I doubt he wanted you there."  
"And if Pokemon really take after their Trainers… that Pikachu seemed really nice, though seemed really worried." Azure muttered, folding his arms.  
"Maybe that Pikachu is a different one, then the one owned by the Collector?" Cerise asked.  
Azure sighed, "Maybe… but for some reason, I don't think so."

Officer Jenny sighed as well, and pushed herself away from the desk, "Enough chit-chat! You kids are on your way to Pallet Town, are you not?"  
"I don't think there's a reason to go anymore…" Azure stated, "The Starter Pokemon would be all taken by now."  
"You can still Register as Trainers." Officer Jenny said. She pointed at Pichu, "Even if you do not start your Pokemon Journey this year, you are now of age to have a , she is still a Pokemon travelling in your care. And with Team Getdaze out there, its better to have her Registered as a Pokemon under your care right away."  
"Pi?" She asked, tilting her head.  
Officer Jenny smiled, "That way, if anyone manages to steal her, if they sell her, and the new Trainer tries to Register her, she will come up as owned by someone else."  
"That's a good idea!" Cerise gasped,  
"It has been working so far." She nodded, "Oh, and I am sure you want to be there when we report this incident to your father, Cerise."  
Cerise paled, "Your going to tell my Dad?"  
"Of course I am!" She nodded, "We may need his help infiltrating Mt. Silver."  
Cerise looked down at her lap, still visibly pale. Azure looked puzzled, "Who's her Dad? Some important guy?"  
Officer Jenny laughed, "You can say that. Cerise's father is the Gym Leader for the Viridian City Gym."  
Azure gasped, "Really? That's cool! So, your Father will be the first guy I would have challenged on my Pokemon Journey?"  
Cerise shook her head, "Daddy only opens the Gym for a month or so before the start of the Indigo Plateau Tournament. Its closed for the rest of the year."  
"Well that's lame." Azure pouted.

Officer Jenny started towards the door, "Come on kids! You can ride in the sidecar." Cerise and Azure looked at each other, and nodded.

Cerise stood up, and started towards the door.

"Cerise!" Azure called after her, she slowed to a stop and turned around. Without skipping a beat, he ran up to her with a smile, "Thank you."  
"For what?" She asked,  
"For running after me back on Route 1." He explained, "If you and Arcanine did not come with me, I may never have gotten Pichu back."  
She giggled and reached up to pet Pichu, "No problem! Like I said, my conscience would never let me allow you to go alone!"

They heard a motorbike roar to life outside, "Come on kids! We don't want to be any later then we already are!"

Azure grinned and turned away from Cerise, breaking into a run towards the exit, and out into the sun-lit morning. Cerise laughed and followed him.

Neither one of them had any idea what was ahead for them, or if they're Pokemon Journey would really begin, but there was one thing Azure knew for sure, and that was that there was some sort of mystery afoot. He wanted to learn more about the Collector and that ghost-like Pikachu that had saved them

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A/N:

AIR-HEAD - I'll go by my own tag name from now on, instead of the group one, though I will condense it to Mean-Green. Also, sorry about the wait here, everyone basically went on end of the year vacations or were moving, or other stuff.

MANGANIMEFANDOM - SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! I am also sorry that this is not edited properly D: I'll re-edit it later when I have more time… I was just tired of it being on hold for so long We'll update more frequently now :D

RYGEL - Hi! Sorry for the wait, I was moving. A new cover design is up on the tumblr page! Please go check it out!


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